PEP-Talk, June, 2002

Pesticide Education Program
Ohio State University Extension
Joanne Kick-Raack, State Coordinator
Cindy Folck, Communications
Vol. 6, Issue 6

In This Issue

Updated Training Materials on Website

Agents looking for information or training videos can access the Pesticide Education Program video library listing on the web. The videos are available on a loan basis for use in pesticide applicator training. However, these videos are not be used for commercial recertification credits without permission from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

To view the video list, go to the website at http://pested.osu.edu and look under the Agent Information page. The videos are organized by category or topic. Core, IPM and Worker Protection are just some of the topics available through the videos. Contact the Pesticide Education Program at (614) 292-4070 to arrange for us to send you any needed videos.

Also available on the website on the Agent Information page is a listing of training materials and information for Worker Protection Standards. There is also a listing of resources available in Spanish on pesticide safety.

Atrazine Comment Period Begins

The risk assessment was released for atrazine in May, opening a 60-day comment period for the public to submit risk mitigation ideas and proposals. The atrazine risk assessments and related documents are available from EPA's website.

Atrazine is one of the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the U.S., registered to control weeds in field and sweet corn, sorghum, and other agricultural crops as well as residential lawns and turf. Although not seen as carcinogenic to humans, atrazine has been associated with causing imbalances in hormone levels, possibly disrupting reproductive and developmental processes.

Also, there has been concern regarding some exposures to atrazine through consuming drinking water from certain community water systems and some rural wells in atrazine use areas and possible risks from contact with recently treated lawns. Atrazine currently is used on about 75 percent of the field corn acres grown in the U.S. with about 76.4 million pounds applied annually. The main concern for dietary risk is through drinking water from community water system and rural wells. In most water systems, acute (one-day) exposures do not exceed levels of concern. Some water systems did have intermediate-term (longer term) exposures that exceeded levels of concern for infants.

In Australia, the National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (NRA) has determined that atrazine is safe as long as it meets new residue limits in foods and is used according to strict new label requirements. An interim report completed in 1997 found no toxicological concerns for farm chemical handlers or the community if manufacturers introduced stricter label warnings and tightened control on the chemical's use, especially where it emerges as a residue in animal feed and in animals eaten by humans.

In an unrelated story, a study released in April linked atrazine to developmental effects in an African frog species. A new report recently released links the frogs' malformations to a parasite known as Ribeiroia ondatrae. (Sources: EPA Pesticide Program Update, 5/15/02; The Label, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Vol. 14, No. 5; and Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, Vol. 30, No. 27)

Chlorpyrifos Still in Stores

EPA received a letter from state pesticide officials asking for help in assessing the amount of chlorpyrifos still being offered for sale at retailers nationwide. Through an agreement with manufacturers, chlorpyrifos was phased out for retail sales last year on December 31. All retailers were to pull any forms of the pesticide from shelves. However, the American Pesticide Control Officials (APCO) believes many small, rural retailers may still be uniformed that they need to stop selling the product. (Source: Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, Vol. 30, No. 28)

Final Rule on Commercial Licensing Date Changes

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has issued the date changes for Commercial Pesticide Applicator Licenses. These changes are only for commercial licenses, the dates for the private licenses will remain the same. The new licensing year for commercial licenses will be from October 1 to September 30.

The current licensing year will be March 1, 2002 - February 28, 2003. Then, applicators will be required to purchase a 19 month license that will begin March 1, 2003 and expire on September 30, 2004. The fee for each license category will increase to compensate for the 19-month license. Any applicator whose recertification cycle ends in 2004 will have until September 30, 2004 to complete their requirement.

The next license cycle will only be 12 months, with the license effective from November 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005. All recertification cycles will again be on the 12-month year.

Misleading Pesticide Product Names Comment Period

What's in a name? This issue is addressed in an extended EPA comment period on draft pesticide registration notice for the evaluation of false or misleading pesticide product names. EPA has identified a growing number of product names that, either by themselves or in association with particular company names or trademarks, appear to be in non compliance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

EPA wants to establish guidance to explain its policies and regulations regarding pesticide product names, so that registrants can better understand what product names are potentially false or misleading. Click here to view the notice. (Source: EPA Pesticide Program Update 5/13/02)

No School IPM in Farm Bill

The recently passed farm bill did not contain the provision for SEPA (School Environmental Protection Act). As noted in previous PEP-Talks, the proposed school IPM measure would have required states to develop a school pest management plan and required schools to develop an individual pest management plan containing notification to parents for pesticide applications. Originally, SEPA was an amendment to the education bill in 2001, but was defeated in committee. It again surfaced as an amendment to the farm bill but was once again defeated. Industry officials are concerned that defeat of SEPA could mean similar or more restrictive legislation eventually.

Spray Tip Guides Online

Several spray tip manufacturers have spray tip guides available online. Additional features include animation showing spray tip technology and more information. Some sights include:

DEET and West Nile Virus

Canadian health officials have banned insect repellents with more than 30 percent of the active ingredient DEET. Additionally, Health Canada has also banned products that contain both sunscreen and insect repellent saying users will absorb too much DEET.

With West Nile Virus precautions in Ohio, the state department of health is recommending that people outside from dusk to dawn use a mosquito repellent. DEET is one of the common active ingredient in mosquito repellents recommended by the Ohio West Nile Virus Workgroup. They recommend people use products that contain 30 percent or less of DEET. Products with 15 percent or less active ingredient are considered "child safe."

For more information on West Nile Virus, access the factsheets. (Sources: Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, Vol. 30, No. 28; Ohio Department of Health website at www.odh.state.oh.us)

Pesticide Crop Watch

Insecticides

Capture (bifenthrin) - FMC has added to their label the usage on caneberries, field corn, sweet corn and the application by chemigation.

Fungicides

Signature (fosetyl-A1) - Aventis added to their label the control of anthracnose and bentgrass dead spot on turf

Reminder: 24c Labels for Local Special Needs are available on our website at http://pested.osu.edu under the "General Information" page.

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