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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