Worker Protection Standard (WPS) Update
May 8-9, 2019 Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee Meeting
Summary:
•	The EPA issued a final rule in November 2015, establishing staggered compliance dates for
implementation of the changes to the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard. As you know,
most of the new WPS requirements went into effect in January 2017; the remaining
requirements went into effect in January 2018.
Background:
•	The Worker Protection Standard primarily seeks to protect and reduce the risks of injury or
illness to agricultural workers and pesticide handlers, resulting from use and contact with
pesticides on farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses.
•	EPA received public comments on certain aspects of the WPS.
o Application Exclusion Zone
•	On March 13, 2019, EPA sent proposed AEZ revisions to OMB for review.
•	Following OMB review, EPA will send the draft proposed revisions to USDA and to the
House and Senate Agriculture committees as required under FIFRA.
•	Once OMB and FIFRA reviews are complete, we will work through a transparent, public
notice and comment rulemaking process to reconsider the AEZ provision of the WPS Rule
where we have heard concerns.
o Pesticide Safety Programs
•	OCSPP's worker safety program coordinates with grantees to train farmworkers and develop
materials in appropriate languages to inform workers of pesticide risks.
•	PRIA includes registration service fee set-asides of $2 million dollars for worker protection
activities, partnership grants, and pesticide safety education programs.
•	Some of the work being done through cooperative agreements funded in part by PRIA set
asides in FY18 included:
o 150 pesticide safety trainers in 30 states delivered WPS pesticide safety training to over
7,600 farm workers
o New WPS pesticide safety training videos for farm workers and pesticide handlers in
English and Spanish
o Distribution of over 16,000 materials to farm workers and their families on preventing
take home exposure
Certification and Training Rule Update
Summary:
•	Status of the Certification of Pesticide Applicators Rule, commonly referred to as Certification
& Training (C&T) Rule. EPA issued a revised final Certification of Pesticide Applicators rule
on January 4, 2017. The rule became effective on March 6, 2017, and established a deadline
of March 6, 2020, for states to submit revised certification plans to EPA documenting their

-------
compliance with the new rule's requirements.
Background:
•	Certification programs are administered by the states, tribes and other federal agencies to
ensure that applicators are competent to apply restricted use pesticides, typically the most
acutely toxic pesticides registered by the EPA.
•	The EPA understands the critical role that states, tribes and other federal agencies play in
implementing the C&T program and are committed to working with our state, tribal and
federal partners to ensure a protective, yet flexible, certification and training standard.
•	All states, tribes and other federal agencies with existing certification programs must submit
revised certification plans that comply with the 2017 Certification of Pesticide Applicators
rule by March 4, 2020. Tribes may choose to update an existing plan, rely on EPA's Plan for
Indian Country, or opt out of a plan.
•	States, tribes and other federal agencies are required to submit a timeline and schedule for
changes along with the revised certification plans.
•	Revised plan submissions may contain sections that are pending and/or contingent upon
legislative/regulatory action.
•	Existing plans remain in effect until EPA approves or rejects the revised plan or March 4,
2022, whichever is earlier.
•	Timeframe for implementation/compliance with revised certification plan will be decided on
a case-by-case basis as part of EPA's review and approval of each revised certification plan.
•	In February 2019, EPA released guidance materials to assist states, tribes and other federal
agencies in developing their revised certification plans in response to the 2017 Certification
of Pesticide Applicators Rule.
•	We held several training sessions in 2017 and 2018 for states and tribes to prepare them for
implementation of the revised C&T rule and recently presented the following:
o Webinar with tribes (April 2019)
o Pre-PREP webinars (April 2019)
o Lead presentations for multiple sessions during the national Pesticide Regulatory
Education Program (PREP) course for all states on April 29 - May 3, 2019.

-------