Pesticide Notes Newsletter From the Pesticide Safety Education Program at MSU
In this issue [ November 2003]
* REGULATORY & CERTIFICATION UPDATES - Security Plans for Transport
* PESTICIDE Q & A's * NEW TRAINING MATERIALS - Illegal pesticide web site; 1,000
weeds
* PESTICIDES in the NEWS - HUD petition; School IPM; Ipecac;
* CHANGES in PESTICIDE LABELS/REGISTRATION - fit testing & fumigants
* CALENDAR of PESTICIDE RELATED PROGRAMS
* JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS
* MAKING SUBMISSIONS to this NEWSLETTER
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REGULATORY & CERTIFICATION UPDATES
**Security Plans Now Needed for Haz-Mat Transportation**
Did you know that by September 25, 2003, people who ship hazardous materials in
commercial amounts (i.e. amounts that require shipments to be placarded) were
required to develop and implement a security plan? Hazardous materials includes
certain fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, anhydrous) , fuel (gas, diesel, propane),
and pesticides. Thus this requirement also may apply to certain ag producers.
When is a security plan needed? A container over 119 gallons is considered a commercial
quantity of hazardous material. In other words, large packages or bulk containers
of anhydrous or ammonium nitrate fertilizer, fuel, or pesticide meet the requirements.
Also, a TOTAL shipment of hazardous materials that is over 1,000 pounds meets
the requirements. In other words, a shipment made up of many small containers
of pesticide that weighs over 1,000 lbs would need a security plan. Other than
the weight requirement, a plan is not needed in most other scenarios. For example,
if a grower picks up small amounts of agrochemicals (less than a 119 gal container,
or 1,000 lbs total), the grower is exempt. If the grower's supplier delivers pesticide,
fertilizer, or fuel to the farm stead, then the grower himself does NOT need a
plan (although the supplier may). If the grower is simply transporting the agrochemicals
between fields on the farm, a plan isn't needed either. What must be in the plan?
According to the Department of Transportation, a security plan must cover the
following items: * Personnel: If you hire employees to transport hazardous chemicals,
confirm the information given by new employees on the job application or resume.
This only applies to employees hired after September 25th, 2003. In other words,
check out a potential employee before hiring. * Unauthorized access: How will
your vehicle be secured to prevent unauthorized access when you transporting hazardous
materials.?This could include locking the vehicle, never leaving the vehicle,
or keeping it in site at all times. * En-route security: Increasing security between
the time materials are picked up and delivered, for example, minimizing the time
in transit. The plan must be in writing. Companies must also provide security
training to employees who transport hazardous materials. Still confused about
security requirements or the details of the plan? Then visit the Dept of Transportation
web site at http://hazmat.dot.gov/hmt_security.htm
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PESTICIDE Q & A's No questions were asked this month.
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NEW TRAINING MATERIALS
***Illegal Homeowner Pesticides***
Donald Baumgartner, from the Pesticide Program Section in the EPA Region 5 Office,
passed on this web site on illegal pesticides. The page has written information
and pictures of several common illegal products such as moth balls, insecticidal
chalk, illegal pet products, and tres pasitos ['three little steps', referring
to how far a mouse can get after consuming this illegal rodenticide] http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/illegalproducts/index.htm
** WSSA 1,000 Weeds of North America** A new interactive CD weed ID guide, available
after 1 Dec 2003. $49.95 plus $5 shipping, with discoutns for bulk orders. To
order, call the Weed Science Society of America at 1-800-627-0629 ext 297, or
visit the WSSA web site at http://www.wssa.net/.
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PESTICIDES in the NEWS **Attorneys General petition to use IPM in HUD housing**
(from web and AP news articles, October 2003) A petition was filed by 11 state
attorney generals against the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)
in October to force the agency to stop using pesticides as a first response to
pest problems in low income housing units. The AGs say that HUD should conduct
pest control in low income housing using integrated pest management methods, versus
a spray-based approach. The petition is actually based on a provision of FIFRA
which requires all federal agencies to "use Integrated Pest Management techniques
in carrying out pest management activities and ... promote Integrated Pest Management
through procurement and regulatory policies and other activities". Nearly 1.3
million families across the country live in housing developments funded by HUD.
A year ago, the New York AG, Eliot Spitzer, released a report making a similar
claim against HUD in his own state. Since that report, housing authorities in
New York agreed to develop and implement IPM programs in low income housing. The
October petition comes from the attorneys general of New York, California, Connecticut,
Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island,
and the Virgin Islands. At the same time, a group of environmental, housing, and
public health organizations also filed petition asking HUD to immediately require
that IPM practices be used in public housing developments.
***IPM in Schools - some results of a Texas survey.***
[from an article posted by Murray Walton of the Texas Structural Pest Control
Board, on the School IPM list server] The Texas Structural Pest Control Board
surveyed nearly 300 Texas school districts, asking how the IPM programs currently
used in the school compared to the conventional pest control programs used by
the district in the past. As far as efficacy, nearly 50% of the district rated
the IPM program more effective than the past conventional control program. 23%
of the districts said that an IPM approach was similar, and 5% less effective,
than standard pest control. The remainder of the districts either did not answer
the question, or did not know. As far as cost, the majority of the districts said
the cost of an IPM program was the same (23%) or more (30%) than a conventional
spray program. 15% said the cost of IPM was less (the remainder did not answer,
or did not know). Several reasons were given for the greater cost of the IPM programs.
In some cases, the school district had no previous pest management program, the
cost of IPM was simply greater than $0. In other districts, the IPM program costs
more because of the additional planning, monitoring, and record keeping activities
that were not part of the previous spray program. Cost savings in reduced purchase
of pesticides were off-set by labor costs or additional supplies needed for IPM
monitoring. Finally, the school facilities themselves sometimes contributed to
the additional costs; the use of exclusion and sanitation techniques on old, poorly
maintained, poorly designed school buildings was expensive. **Just say no to Ipecac"
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently changed its policy on syrup of ipecac,
that time honored home remedy for poisoning. The AAP used to recommend that parents
keep a bottle of ipecac on hand to induce vomiting in children who had swallowed
a poisonous substance, such as a pesticide. However, citing recent research that
shows no benefit in kids treated with ipecac and the reduction in poisoning incidents
across the country, the AAP has changed its policy to say ipecac should no longer
be used by parents. See full coverage at: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/novpoison.htm
Also note the universal (U.S.-wide) phone number for poison control 1-800-222-1222.
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CHANGES in PESTICIDE LABELS/REGISTRATION
ZEP Amine A and ZEP Attack A (ZEP Manufacturing Co., Atlanta): EPA ordered a stop-sale
for both of these hospital disinfectants. EPA says the pesticides are misbranded,
that is, the labels make claims that the disinfectants kill the pathogenic organism,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but both products failed to do so in government efficacy
lab tests. Zinc phosphide: Tolerances were established for residues of phosphine
which result from the use of the rodenticide zinc phosphide in or on alfalfa forage
and hay; barley grain, hay, and straw; dry bean seed; sugar beets; potato; timothy
forage and hay; and wheat forage, grain, hay, and straw. Fit testing and Fumigants:
EPA recently wanted to make applicators aware that several fumigant label (for
example, Telone C17) contains language that specifically requires that applicators
have respirator training, be fit tested, and examined by a doctor to make sure
they can use the correct respirator. The language on the label is binding, and
it appears in the 'Ag Use Requirements' section. Apparently this language has
been on some labels for a decade, without EPA thinking much about it. In many
commercial or educational settings, for example at Michigan State Univ., fit testing
is already required for anyone using a respirator on the job, so the testing equipment
and trained people are readily available. For a private applicator, however, it
may be more difficult to find a place that will do respirator fit tests. One place
to start is your local fire department. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
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CALENDAR of PESTICIDE RELATED PROGRAMS None submitted this month.
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JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS None submitted this month.
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MAKING SUBMISSIONS to this NEWSLETTER If you have pesticide-related information
that you would like to provide to MSU extension agents, MSU campus specialists,
agribusiness, and others, we welcome submissions to this newsletter. The newsletter
is sent out on the 15th of each month. Submissions can be emailed to difonzo@msu.edu;
please put 'newsletter submission' in the subject line. Do not email attachments...please
include all relevant information within the body of the email message, so it can
be directly copied into the newsletter. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
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Newsletter prepared by: Chris DiFonzo and Carolyn Randall MSU Pesticide Safety
Education Program B18 Food Safety and Toxicology Building East Lansing, MI 48824
Web site: www.pested.msu.edu