^QJV Office of Pesticide Programs (7506P) November 2012 EPA735-F-12-012
'ClJT* Soil Fumigant Mitigation Factsheet:
United States
Environmental Protection __ . . , _ —^ ,. f r* <• • i
Agency Training and Exam Options for Pesticide
Applicators of Soil Fumigant Products
Information for Pesticide State Lead Agencies and Applicators
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 applicators, other fumigant handlers and
bystanders from fumigant exposures. The new Applicator Training requirement is being implemented
during the second of two phases. When new Phase 2 fumigant labels appear in the market place in late
2012, fumigant users will need to comply with this new requirement.
Training and Exam
Options for Pesticide
Applicators of Soil
Fumigant Products
The Phase 2 soil fumigant product labels will include the following label
statement which requires certified applicators to successfully complete
training specific to soil fumigation:
"Any certified applicator supervising a soil fumigant application must have
successfully completed one of the soil fumigant training programs listed on the
following EPA Web page (http://www.epa.gov/fumiganttraining) for the active
ingredient(s) in this product. The training must be completed in the time frames
listed on the Web page. The FMP must document the date and location where
the soil fumigant training program was completed. "
Registrants of soil fumigant products offer EPA-approved on-line
training (and possibilities for in-person training) with exams. Although
not required, pesticide State Lead Agencies (SLAs) may also provide
applicators EPA-approved alternatives to registrant-sponsored training.
Note that compliance with the label-required training is a condition of
product use. Because soil fumigants are Restricted Use Products, only
certified applicators may purchase them. Contact the registrant about
additional requirements they may have for persons purchasing their
products.
EPA's Soil Fumigant Toolbox includes registrant-developed training
programs and identifies states with certified applicator training options
and requirements in addition to registrants' programs. State options may
include:
1) certification in a recently updated soil fumigation category or
sub-category
2) training, independent of certification, administered by the state or
3) a "challenge exam" administered by the state, independent of
state certification or training.
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More information on these state options is provided below. All programs
must include an exam or other means to determine whether participants
successfully completed the program.
Additionally, before EPA will add programs to the website, EPA must
review them and determine that they meet the criteria outlined below.
Criteria for Soil Criteria for Soil Fumigant Training Programs
Fumigant Training t ...
Approved training programs
9 v' Provide applicators with documentation of successful
completion
S Include a database of all applicators who have successfully
completed the program so pesticide enforcement officials can
verify applicators' compliance
•S Have a process to evaluate the quality of training and
incorporate improvements as necessary
S Cover the general topics listed below under "Content Check
List for Soil Fumigant Training Programs"
Content Check List for Content Check List for Soil Fumigant Training Programs
Soil Fumiqant Traininq A- Correct application of fumigants and compliance with new
Proarams label recluirements
Information on the following soil fumigants:
o Methyl bromide
o Chloropicrin
o 1, 3-Dichloropropene
o Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS)
o Metam sodium and metam potassium
o Dazomet
B. Protecting handlers and bystanders
o Safety information to handlers involved in the application
o Posting and where to place signs
o Respiratory protection requirements, and conditions for
using a respirator
o Entry restricted period - when entry into a treated area is
permitted, and who may enter during the entry restricted
period
o Tarp perforation and removal restrictions
o Restrictions near Difficult-to-Evacuate Sites
o Triggers for Emergency Preparedness and Response
Measures and options for complying
o Emergency response planning
C. Buffer zone distance calculations
D. Fumigation Management Plan requirements
E. Post- application Summary requirements
F. Weather and site-specific conditions unfavorable for
fumigant applications
G. Good Agricultural Practices requirements
H. Emergency response plan implementation
Soil Fumigant Mitigation: Training and Exam Options for Pesticide Applicators of Soil Fumigant Products
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(1) State Option -
Certification in a Soil
Fumigation Category or
Subcategory
(2) State Option -
Training Independent
of SLA Applicator
Certification Program
(3) State Option -
Challenge Exam
Independent of SLA
Applicator Certification
Program
(1) State Option - Certification in a Soil Fumigation Category or
Subcategory
If a state has a certification category or Subcategory in soil fumigation
that has been updated to cover the content listed above, applicators in
that state will not need to complete the training offered by registrants
IF:
S The SLA requests that EPA review the program and list it on
the EPA website
S EPA verifies that the content is at least equal to the content
required for other programs, and
-S EPA lists the program on the website
(http ://www. epa. gov/fumiganttraining)
(2) State Option - Training Independent of SLA Applicator
Certification Program
States may also choose to provide training to certified applicators in their
states independent of certifying applicators in a soil fumigation category.
• This is optional and would serve to provide additional
opportunities for applicators to meet the label requirement to
successfully complete training offered by registrants.
• Such training must meet the same criteria outlined above for
approved programs, including a means, such as an exam, to
determine whether participants have successfully completed the
training.
• States interested in offering this option must provide to EPA a
description of their plans to meet the criteria above as well as a
copy of the proposed program materials that cover the content
listed above.
• EPA will review the training materials and exam and upon
approval, list them on the website
(http://www.epa.gov/fumiganttraining)
(3) State Option - Challenge Exam Independent of SLA Applicator
Certification Program
A third option available to states is to offer a "challenge exam" to
determine whether applicators have acquired competency in soil
fumigation, including the content outlined above, independent of
certification in soil fumigation or other training offered by the state.
If a state chooses to offer this option, the exam must:
S Assess knowledge and understanding of soil fumigation
principles, protection of workers and bystanders, and labeling
requirements outlined above under "Content Check List for
Soil Fumigant Training Programs"
•S Be administered by SLA or by a party approved by SLA (e.g.,
Cooperative Extension Service or independent third party
under contract with the state)
-S Be reviewed by EPA and listed on the website
(http ://www. epa. gov/fumiganttraining)
Soil Fumigant Mitigation: Training and Exam Options for Pesticide Applicators of Soil Fumigant Products
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New Resource
States interested in offering the challenge exam option must provide to
EPA a description of their plans to meet the criteria above, as well as a
copy of the proposed exam and a description of how it will be
administered. Applicators must retest (or take training if the option is
available) every 36 months. This is generally expected to be a temporary
offering until an SLA is able to adopt a soil fumigation category.
New Resource
The NASDA Research Foundation (NASDARF) under a cooperative
agreement with the EPA has developed a manual, exam blueprint and
item bank to incorporate the new requirements for soil fumigant
applications. All three products include the content described above and
are EPA-approved. SLA programs will meet EPA content requirements
(described above) by adopting the three products as is. The manual is
available on-line. For information, contact Carol (Ramsay) Black, EPA
Project Director for the NASDA Research Foundation, at telephone
(208) 301-3654 Pacific Time or carol@nasda.org. For information on the
exam blueprint and item bank, contact Jeanne Kasai,
kasai.ieanne@epa.gov.
Certified Applicator
Options for Complying
with the Soil Fumigant
Training Requirement
Certified Applicator Options for Complying with the Soil Fumigant
Training Requirement
Certified Private or Commercial Applicators can purchase but not legally
use soil fumigants until at least one of the following options is taken.
1) Soil fumigant training offered by
Registrant
• Web-based or in-person training
course
• Exam
• Receive documentation of
completion
• Applicators must retrain every 36
months
2) Certification in a Soil Fumigation
Category or Subcategory
• Established or revised in 2012 or
after
• Certification exam
• Receive state certification
• Applicator retraining falls within
SLA's recertification program and
cycle
3) Soil fumigant training offered by
SLA
• Web-based or in-person training
course
• Exam or other means to determine
successful completion
• Receive documentation of
completion
• Applicators must retrain every 36
months
4) SLA Challenge Exam
• Web-based or in-person exam
• Receive documentation of
completion
• Applicators must retest or retrain
every 36 months
For additional information, please see EPA's Soil Fumigant Toolbox, www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reregistration/soil_fumigants/.
Soil Fumigant Mitigation: Training and Exam Options for Pesticide Applicators of Soil Fumigant Products 4
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