United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Enforcement
& Compliance Assurance
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 305-F-98-027b
September 1998
www.epa.gov
A f^ It >* 7
Ag Center
Helping Agriculture Comply with
Environmental Requirements
FOCUS ON
Information Displayed at a
Central Place - Part 2
The Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a regulation issued by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and amended in 1995. It covers pesticides that are
used in the production of agricultural plants on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses. The
WPS requires you to take steps to reduce the risk of pesticide-related illness and injury if you (1)
use such pesticides, or (2) employ workers or pesticide handlers who are exposed to such
pesticides. , ,
This fact sheet will help you understand how to comply with WPS requirements for displaying
information about pesticide applications. The questions answered here were submitted to the
Agency by people seeking clarification on this part of the regulation. The questions and answers
were released by EPA's Office of Compliance on March 15, 1995.
The WPS requires posting of
information on pesticide
applications at a central location
for at least 30 days after the
expiration of Restricted Entry
Interal (REI) (or, if there is no
REI, for at least 30 days after the
end of the application), or until
workers are no longer on the
establishment, whichever is
earlier. [40 CFR §§ 170.122 and
170.222]. If treated soil is sold
(in the pots with the crop) and is
moved off the agricultural
establishment (i.e., no longer
under the control of the
agricultural employer), does the
application list have to remain
posted at the agricultural
establishment where pesticide
treatment occurred?
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- if treated
fdants are no longer
ontiieag
"establishment?
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Yes. The application list must be
1" displayed for at least 30 days after the
11iij expiration of the REI (or, if there is no
III |j REI, for at least 30 days after the end of
1 the application), or until workers are no
Ipnger on the establishment, whichever
is earlier. It is acceptable to note on the
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list that the treated area (treated
plants/soil) is no longer on the
agricultural establishment.
If a crop is harvested and sold
and the remaining stubble is
^Ililiil plowed under, does the
application list at the central
location still have to contain a
listing of applications to that
crop? What if another crop is
planted in that area within a 30-
day period?
Yes. The list of applications posted at
the central location would have to be
displayed for at least 30 days after the
end of the restricted-entry interval (or, if
there is no restricted-entry interval, for
at least 30 days after the end of the
application) or at least until workers are
no longer on the establishment. If
another crop is planted within the 30-
day period, the list of applications to the
; ;, previous crop would still have to be
displayed as well as any information on
pesticide application to the new crop.
Potting soil/plants may be
treated with a pesticide in one
location and then be moved
either during the REI period or
during the 30 days after the end
of the REI. If they are moved,
does the central posting
information have to be updated
to reflect the current location?
To meet trie requirement of the
regulations, the central posting
information must remain reasonably
accurate during the 30 days after the
REI, or if none, for 30 days after the
application, so that a worker will be able
to determirie which pesticides may be
present in areas he will enter. Meeting
this performance standard can be
accomplished in a number of ways,
including: (1) updating the information;
or (2) providing the initial information
in such a way that it addresses any likely
changes to the location of the treated
area (the pots); or (3) in addition to
providing the initial location of the
pesticide application, referring in the
posting to markings or to other
identifiers on/with the pots that remain
with them as they move; or (4) in some
other systematic manner that the
employer chooses to use to assure that
the information remains reasonably
accurate. This list of examples is not
exhaustive.
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Ag Center Fact Sheet Series
Agrichemicals/WPS - Information Display 2
Page 2
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Agn'chemicals
The Ag Center
welcomes comments
on this document and
its other services.
For more information
You can get more facts about
compliance by calling the Ag Center's
toll-free number. Materials can be sent
to you by fax or mail, or you can talk to
an Ag Center representative. For a list
of all publications available from the Ag
Center, request document number
10001, "Ag Center Publications."
National Agriculture Compliance
Assistance Center
901 N. 5* Street
Kansas City, KS 66 101
Toll-free:
Internet:
Fax:
1-888-663-2155
www.epa.gov/oeca/ag
913-551-7270
United States Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460
Ag Center Fact Sheet Series
PageS
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