50 Minutes

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CTAGThe Certification and Training

Assessment Group

Now playing

at a theatre near you !!

Dolby Sound Full Screen Rated PG

With Special Guest...

Gina Davis

The CTAG Mission

To facilitate improvement in the national Pesticide

Applicator Certification and Training Program.

Five Goals

• Reduce risks to the public from pesticide use.

• Provide high quality pesticide education and safety training programs.

• Improve the certification and recertification programs and processes.

• Ensure adequacy and equity of funding.

• Improve the efficiency of program organization and operations.

C&T Plan and Reporting

• Web-based Template– Facilitate updating plans– Mechanism for annual reporting

• Plan components meet the requirements of FIFRA and 40CFR171– Administration, authority, conformity, categories,

examinations, supervision, reciprocity

• Reports exceeds FIFRA and 40CFR171– Applicator totals, category totals, cycles,

recertification, regulatory activities, participation, monitoring, enforcement related to certification

85/15 Match Requirements

• EPA funding to state regulatory agencies for certification

• Replace 50/50 match requirement with a 85/15 match requirement

• FIFRA change

CTAG Board of DirectorsKevin Keaney EPA-OPP Co-ChairCarol Ramsay Washington Co-ChairCarl Martin Arizona Vice-Chair Gina Davis Michigan Past-Chair Al Muench EPA Assistant SecretaryWin Hock *AAPSEMemberVacant CES MemberVacant TPPC MemberAndrew Thostenson North Dakota MemberDr. Bill Tozier AFPMB MemberKathy Dictor North Carolina MemberJack Peterson Arizona Member Monte Johnson USDA MemberRichard Pont EPA-OPP Member Jeanneanne Gettle EPA Region Member

Communication Efforts

– Pesticide in the 21st Century– Progress Reports– Annual Reports– PREP Course– Presentations at national and regional

meetings– AAPCO, AAPSE, POM Updates

http://pep.wsu.edu/ctag

The CTAG Process for Issue Development

• Issues may be brought before the Board by a Board member, a CTAG partner or stakeholder.– Issue must be sufficiently developed to address the

significance of the issue and describe the problem to be avoided or solved.

• The Board will prioritize all issues

– May result in fast-tracking some issues or putting an

issue on hold.

The CTAG Process for Issue Development

• Generally, an issue will result in a project, or a guidance document, concept document, or regulatory issue paper. – The issue will be assigned to a workgroup.

– The workgroup will develop a document through meetings, conference calls, and/or email discussions.

The CTAG Process for Issue Development

• Following development of a draft document

Board Review - resulting in approval of the draft or returning to the workgroup for further work.

• Once approved by the Board, CTAG will circulate the draft to partners via the AAPCO, ASPCRO, AAPSE, PSEP, and TPPC listservs and will solicit comments within a prescribed period of time. The draft document and request for comments will also be posted on the CTAG web site.

The CTAG Process for Issue Development

• The workgroup will collect and evaluate partner comments and make necessary revisions.

Board for approval.

For approved guidance documents, the process will end here, since they are dynamic and can be easily edited and updated.

• The process of partner and stakeholder review and comment will be repeated as necessary.

The CTAG Process for Issue Development

• Following final approval by the Board, CTAG will work with EPA and other appropriate agencies, as necessary, to facilitate formal consideration of the document and begin the process to move toward regulatory change.

• CTAG will track activities from the point of initial Board approval to consider a project/issue through its development stages until it is finalized or implemented.

Minimum Age Requirements

• United States Department of Labor Rules– 29 CFR Part 570.71

• Prohibits the employment in agriculture of children below the age of 16 if the job encompasses handling or applying agri-chemicals with signal words “Poison”, “Skull and Crossbones” and “Warning”

• Fair Labor Standards Act• Sets forth minimum age requirements for

children under the age of 17 working in agriculture.

Minimum Age• Minimum age recommendation for a

certified applicator ...• 18 commercial [legal adult] • 17 private (16 if you can breakout Tox. Cat. 1)

– Ability to supervise others– Ability of law enforcement to approach and

deal directly with certified applicator– Ability to deal with hardships– Consistent with DOL current regulations

Closed Book Exams

• Written, closed-book examination for private and commercial applicators.

• Closed-book = only calculator from outside. Necessary exam reference material will be provided as part of the examination process.

• Supplying reference materials for information that should be committed to memory, such as the core knowledge requirements, would be inappropriate.

Positive Identification for Exams, Training, and RUP Purchases

• Advantages

– Cause little inconvenience for the proctor

– Minimal costs incurred

– Minimal effort for retail dealers to confirm buyer’s identity

Positive Identification for Exams, Training, and RUP Purchases

• Limitations– Some religious groups prohibit

pictures (two forms of non-photo id would then be required).

– Large group meetings may require additional staff.

– Internet and telephone sales

Tiered Classification of Pesticides

Tiered Classification

• Product Classification– Toxicity, security, site sensitivity, type of

user, education & safety training required

• User Type– Occupational, domestic

• Training/Examination Required– Training only

– Examination: core, category, product-specific

Exam Security Manual

• Exam oversight and controls– Pre-registration, scheduling exams, fees, – Retakes, – Disqualification, prohibitions– Exam environment – Proctoring and cheating – Grading– Notification and/or certification – Personnel

Additional CTAG Activities

PSEP Long-Term FundingIntegrate WPS Training Requirements

Remote TestingContinued discussion on Exam Blueprints

National database of applicators with revoked credentials

2003 Progress Report

Questions ??

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