PESTICIDE NOTES NEWSLETTER
*** From the Pesticide Safety Education Program at MSU ***

In This Issue [Nov 2004]
* Regulatory and Certification Updates
- WPS amended; harmonization of labels; applicator age; enforcement
* New Training Materials and Web Resources
- internet sales; record-keeping; atrazine; pesticide sales; Crop life; School IPM; TEACH
* Pesticides in the News – Cyanide in ND bee hives
* Changes in Labels, Registrations
* Calendar of Pesticide-related Programs - Mich Skeeter; NC-ESA
* Job/ Grant Announcements
* Submitting to this Newsletter

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REGULATORY and CERTIFICATION UPDATES

-Issuing credits for recertification programs-
Many extension agents have asked for an update on how credits are granted by MDA for recertification programs. Mr. Larry Swain, the certification program manager with MDA, has been working on a written policy document to explain how credits are issued, and how to better write agendas to get credits. That document isn’t ready yet, but will be soon! Hopefully that article will be in the next issue of the newsletter (December).

-WPS amended – change to glove liner rule-
EPA has revised WPS glove requirements. There are two changes:
1. Agricultural workers are permitted to wear separable glove liners beneath chemical-resistant gloves. The liners may not be longer than the chemical-resistant glove and they may not extend outside of the glove. The liners must be disposed of after 10 hours of use
or if the liners become contaminated, whichever is less. Lined or flocked gloves, where the lining is attached to the inside of the chemical-resistant outer glove, are still unacceptable (presumably because the lining can’t be removed if contaminated). This change was made to “reduce discomfort of unlined chemical resistant gloves, especially during hot or cold periods”
(2) Agricultural pilots do not have to wear chemical-resistant gloves when entering or exiting aircraft. Wearing chemical resistant gloves did not contribute to an appreciable reduction in pesticide residue in the cockpit.

-Global Harmonization of Labels-
EPA is seeking comments on proposed ‘Global Pesticide Label Harmonization”. Pesticide labels and warnings differ from country to country. The Global Harmonized System (GHS) was adopted by the UN in 2003 to promote common ways of classifying chemicals according to their health, physical and environmental hazards, and to develop common label requirements and safety data sheets for workers. The goal is that countries that do not have systems for classifying hazards and writing labels will adopt the GHS, while countries that already have a system will move towards the GHS. Whatever the outcome, label harmonization may change how ALL labels look in the U.S., and perhaps effect pesticide use, training, and enforcement. The deadline for comments is December 6, 2004. People within EPA Region 5 (that include Michigan) who make comments are asked to copy those comments to Amy Mysz (mysz.amy@epa.gov) and Holly McDonald (mcdonald.holly@epa.gov) in the Region 5 Office.
You can find information on the harmonization proposal at: http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/international/globalharmon.htm

-Applicator Age Restriction-
CTAG, the Certification and Training Assessment Group, is asking for comments on a draft paper about minimum age requirements for certification to purchase, apply or supervise the use of restricted use pesticides. CTAG is a cooperative group of federal agencies, university personnel, and state regulators interested in pesticide training and education. CTAG proposes a minimum restriction of 18 years for commercial applicators [Michigan law already has a minimum age of 18 yrs for commercial applicators]. They propose a minimum restriction of 16 years for private applicators (there would be exceptions made in hardship circumstance for private applicators less than 16 years old). CTAG says these minimum restrictions would reduce occupational exposure of teens, “improve regulatory enforcement involving minors, help to avoid liability from conflicts with federal and state child labor laws, and …reduce public criticism of the pesticide program should a high profile incident occur.” The draft proposal is on the CTAG web site at http://pep.wsu.edu/ctag/archive.html under “Certified Applicator Age Requirements”. The draft document and comments will be discussed at the CTAG Board meeting in December, 2004.

-EPA Enforcement Alerts-
Ever wonder who is getting whacked by EPA and why? You can find out by visiting the EPA’s Enforcement Alert web site. The site publishes short synopses of enforcement actions (for example, notices of large penalties or actions) and news about enforcement trends (for example, a notice from Nov 2003 entitled “Pesticide sold on the internet must be registered with EPA”. Perhaps useful as examples in pesticide training.
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/newsletters/civil/enfalert/

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TRAINING MATERIALS and WEB RESOURCES
- Pesticide Sales on the Internet-
Don Baumgartner from the Region 5 EPA Office in Chicago passes on these useful web sites dealing with pesticide sales over the internet.
<<E-Bay policy on pesticides sales (pretty good!)>>
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/pesticides.html

<<EPA web site: Facts on Pesticide Sales in E-Commerce>>
http://www.epa.gov/Compliance/assistance/pesticides/pestecomfact.html

<<Pesticide E-Commerce manual from the State of Wisconsin>>
http://www.datcp.state.wi.us/arm/agriculture/pest-fert/pesticides/pest_manual.html


-Record-keeping-
Federal record-keeping brochures are available in small quantities in Laotian, Filipino, Korean and Spanish. For free copies, contact the USDA Pesticide Records Branch
at amspesticide.records@usda.gov or call 703-330-7826. Please provide an address for mailing and the translation(s) and the quantities you would like to receive.


-Atrazine-
Atrazine and Drinking Water: Understanding the needs of farmers and citizens.
Purdue Extension Publication PPP-66. New September 2004. 8 pages, Glossy.
To purchase copies or view on-line see http://www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/PPP/

-2000-2001 Pesticide Sales-
EPA recently published pesticide sales and use data for the years 2000-2001 (newest report available). The report is at the following web address
http://www.epa.gov/oppbead1/pestsales/index.htm
The report breaks pesticide use down by product and use pattern. Interesting tidbit; glyphosate replaced atrazine as the most widely used pesticide in agriculture (no surprise). The U.S. still accounts for 1/3 of the worlds total pesticide market.

-Crop Life Foundation-
New web site for this charitable research organization. CropLife promotes ‘sustainable agriculture and the environmentally sound use of crop protection products and bio-engineered agriculture’. http://www.croplifefoundation.org/index.html

-School IPM Resource Center for Region 5-
This resource center for our region is housed at Purdue. It covers indoor and outdoor IPM for schools and day care centers, and has resources for teachers and administrators.
http://www.entm.purdue.edu/entomology/outreach/schoolipm/

-“TEACH”-
New on-Line database called Toxicity and Exposure Assessment for Children's Health (TEACH) http://cfpub.epa.gov/teach/. This is a searchable database with overviews of scientific literature about environmental health and kids. For example, I did a search on the site for papers on atrazine containing information on prenatal exposure, and a list of 14 scientific papers was generated. This would be a useful site for researchers or students doing reports or writing grants. The site currently covers the following chemicals; arsenic, benzopyrene, benzene, formaldehyde, manganese, mercury, nitrates/nitrites, phthalates, PCBs, trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, 2,4-D, atrazine, dichlorvos, DEET and the pyrethroids permethrin & resmethrin.


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PESTICIDES in the NEWS

-Cyanide misuse in ND beehives.-
Earlier this month, the North Dakota Department of Ag reported an incidence of illegal pesticide use in beehives in that state. A large bee keeping operation was using a mixture of water, sodium cyanide, and sulfuric acid to sterilize equipment and kill pests in hives at the end of the season. Sodium cyanide is not a registered pesticide, so this is a violation. Additional misuse was found after the NDDA began its investigation. The beekeepers were apparently able to have cyanide shipped to them from outside the state. In addition to the misuses, a drum of cyanide was reported 'missing' along the road in North Dakota, and several other drums were found along the roadside by farmers. Investigators have since learned that sodium cyanide is exempt from DOT placarding requirements! The ND Department of Ag, local police, FBI, and homeland security offices are all investigating the situation.

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PESTICIDE LABELS, REGISTRATIONS, ETC [From Federal Register Notices]

###Fungicides
chlorothalonil (Ridomil): Section 24c, MDA emergency exemption, on ginseng to control botrytis blight and alternaria leaf and stem blight (expected to end on September 30, 2004).

mancozeb (Dithane): Michigan Section 18 on ginseng to control alternaria stem and leaf blight and phytophthora leaf blight (April 30 to October 15, 2004)

propanoic acid: request was approved for an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of propanoic acid on all raw agricultural commodities. Also, the chemical name was officially changed from propionic acid to propanoic acid.

propiconazole (Tilt; Syngenta Crop Protection) time-limited tolerances established in or on field corn forage, grain, and stover and on sweet corn.

pyraclostrobin (Headline; BASF) Pesticide Tolerances established on apple, wet pomace; brassica, head and stem, subgroup; brassica, leafy greens, subgroup; corn, field, grain; corn, field, forage; corn, field, stover; corn, field, refined oil; corn, pop, grain; corn, pop, stover; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; fruit, pome, group; hop, dried cones; legume, forage, except peanut and soybean; pea, succulent; pea and bean, dried shelled, except soybean, subgroup; peppermint; soybean, forage; soybean, hay; soybean, hulls; soybean, seed; spearmint; sunflower; vegetable, leafy, except brassica, group; vegetable, leaves of root and tuber, except sugar

tebuconazole (Folicur): Michigan Section 18 on asparagus to control rust (May 1 to November 1, 2004), on sugar beets to control Cercospora leafspot (May 4 to September 30, 2004) and on wheat to control Fusarium head blight (April 15 to June 25, 2004).

zoxamide (Gavel): Michigan Section 18 on ginseng to control phytophthora leaf blight (May 12 to October 31, 2004)beet; and vegetable, legume, edible podded, subgroup. Tolerance increased on strawberry. [Fed Reg October 29, 2004]

###Herbicides
difenzoquat (Avenge, Finaven; BASF): Registrant has requested to voluntarily cancel CERTAIN registrations containing this active ingredient. [Fed Reg October 26, 2004]

dimethenamid-p (Outlook). Section 18 in Michigan on dry bulb onions to control yellow nutsedge (May 3 to July 30, 2004)

fomesafen (Reflex) on snap beans to control black nightshade and common ragweed (May 15 to August 30, 2004) and on dry beans to control black nightshade and common ragweed June 1 to August 15, 2004.

sulfentrazone (Spartan): Section 18 in Michigan on strawberries to control broadleaf weeds (June 25 to December 15, 2004)

###Insecticides:
Bt Protein Cry3A (Syngenta Seeds) EPA has received a petition to register, and establish an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance, for the plant-incorporated protectant (modified Cry3A Bt protein and the genetic material necessary for its production) in corn. The Cry 3A protein is targeted for corn rootworm. [Fed Reg October 27, 2004]

California Red Scale Technical Pheromone and Red Scale Down ( HBB Partnership). Application was approved to register these new products. (Fed Reg Volume 69, Number197 , Page 60865-60866)

carbaryl (Sevin): The Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED) document is available at http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/rereg/status.cfm?show=rereg#C. Scroll down into the “C’s”. Along with then IRED is a fact sheet summarizing the document. Comments on the carbaryl Interim RED will be accepted until December 27, 2004.

deltamethrin (Decis; Bayer); Pesticide tolerances established on apples, wet pomace; artichoke, globe; barley, bran; cattle, fat; cattle, meat; cattle, meat byproducts; corn, field, forage; corn, field, refined oil; corn, field, stover; corn, pop, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel + cob with husks removed; corn, sweet, stover; egg; fruit, pome, group 11; goat, fat; goat, meat; goat, meat byproducts; grain, aspirated fractions; grain, cereal, group 15, except sweet corn; hog, fat; horse, fat; horse, meat; horse, meat byproducts; milk, fat (reflecting 0.02 ppm in whole milk); nut, tree, group 14; onion, dry bulb; onion, green; poultry, fat; poultry, meat; poultry, meat byproducts; radish tops; rapeseed; rye, bran; sheep, fat; sheep, meat; sheep, meat byproducts; sorghum, grain forage; sorghum, grain stover; soybean, seed; soybean, hulls; sunflower seeds; vegetable, cucurbit, group 9; vegetable, fruiting, group 8; vegetable, root, except sugar beet, subgroup IB; vegetable, tuberous and corm, subgroup; IC; wheat, bran. [Fed Reg October 27, 2004]

Diazinon (many products and manufacturers) REMINDER - As a result of FQPA action several years ago, all products containing diazinon for INDOOR use cannot be sold after December 31, 2004. EPA sent out notices to 40,000 retailers reminding them of this change. No diazinon should remain on store shelves for indoor pest control use.

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CALENDAR of PESTICIDE-RELATED PROGRAMS

-2005 Michigan Mosquito Control Association Conference-
February 3-4
Soaring Eagle Casino, 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd, Mt Pleasant, MI 48858
See this web site for details: www.mimosq.org
Or phone William Wallace, planning committee chair at 989-672-3748


-2005 North central Entomological Society Meeting-
March 20-23, 2005, Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana
(close enough to drive to!)
http://esa.ent.iastate.edu/2005_west_lafayette/meeting

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JOB/ GRANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
None in this issue.

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SUBMITTING 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. 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
MSU Pesticide Safety Education Program
B18 Food Safety and Toxicology Building
East Lansing, MI 48824
Web site: www.pested.msu.edu

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