Office of Pesticide Programs (7506P) October 2010
EPA 738-F-10-004
V5rCr^T\ Soil Fumigant Mitigation Factsheet:
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Requirements
for Buffer Zones
EPA is requiring important new safety measures for soil fumigant pesticides to increase protections
for agricultural workers and bystanders ~ people who live, work, or otherwise spend time near fields that are
fumigated. These measures are for the soil fumigants chloropicrin, dazomet, metam sodium/potassium, and
methyl bromide.
This fact sheet summarizes new requirements to protect fumigant handlers and other workers from
fumigant exposures. When new fumigant labels appear in the market place in 2010, fumigant users will need to
comply with new requirements. Posting Requirements for Buffer Zones, however, will not appear on fumigant
labels until late 2011.
New Requirements for
Posting Buffer Zones
New Requirements for Posting Buffer Zones
Current soil fumigant labels require treated areas to be posted, and
handlers are required to wear specific personal protective equipment
when they are in a treated area. For buffer zones to be effective,
bystanders need to be informed of the location of the buffer to ensure
they do not enter areas designated as part of the buffer zone. The
perimeter of the fumigant buffer zones must be posted as described
below.
Posting of a buffer zone is required unless there is a physical barrier that
prevents bystander access to the buffer zone.
Additional Posting Additional Posting Requirements
Requirements
Buffer zone posting signs must:
• Be placed at all usual points of entry and along likely routes of
approach from areas where people who are not under the land
owner/operator's control may approach the buffer zone.
• Some examples of points of entry include, but are not
limited to, roadways, sidewalks, paths, and bike trails.
• Some examples of likely routes of approach are the area
between a buffer zone and a roadway, or the area between
a buffer zone and a housing development.
• The printed side of the sign must face away from the treated area
toward areas from which people could approach.
• Signs must remain legible the entire posting period.
• Signs must be posted before the application begins and remain
posted until the buffer zone period has expired.
• Signs must be removed within three days after the end of the
buffer zone period.
Exception: If multiple contiguous blocks are fumigated within a 14-day
period, the entire periphery of the contiguous blocks' buffer zones may
be posted. The signs must remain posted until the last buffer zone period
expires and signs may remain posted until three days after the buffer
zone period for the last block has expired.
Soil Fumigant Mitigation: Posting Requirements for Buffer Zones
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Contents of Signs
Buffer Zone Sign
Contents of Signs
Signs must meet the general standards outlined in the Worker Protection
Standard (WPS) for text size and legibility (see 40 CFR §170.120).
Registrants must provide generic buffer zone posting signs that meet these
criteria at points of sale for applicators to use.
Current soil fumigant labels require treated areas to be posted, and handlers
are required to wear specific personal protective equipment when they are
in a treated area.
The buffer zone sign must include the following:
• Do not walk sign
• "DO NOT ENTER/NO ENTRE,"
• "[Name offumigant] [Name of product] Fumigant BUFFER ZONE,"
• Contact information for the certified applicator in charge of the
fumigation
DO NOT ENTER/
NO ENTRE
FUMIGANT
PRODUCT.
Fumigant BUFFER ZONE
Certified applicator
in charge of the fumigation:
Phone:
Soil Fumigant Mitigation: Posting Requirements for Buffer Zones
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Treated Area Sian ^e treated area sign (currently required for fumigants) must state the
following:
• Skull and crossbones symbol
• "DANGER/PELIGRO,"
• "Area under fumigation, DO NOT ENTER/NO ENTRE,"
• "[Name offumigant] Fumigant in USE,"
• Date and time of fumigation,
• Date and time entry prohibition is lifted
• Name of the product
• Name, address, and telephone number of the certified applicator in
charge of the fumigation.
DANGER/PELIGRO
AREA UNDER FUMIGATION
FUMIGANT IN USE
START DATE/TIME:.
END DATE/TIME:
PRODUCT:
APPLICATOR CONTACT INFORMATION:
DO NOT ENTER/NO ENTRE
For additional information, please see EPA's Web page on risk mitigation measures
for the soil fumigants, http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reregistration/soil_fumigants/.
Soil Fumigant Mitigation: Posting Requirements for Buffer Zones
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