Chapter 25

Pesticides for Grapevines

Pesticide Laws and Regulations

There are many federal and state laws that control the use of pesticides. If you use pesticides in a way not allowed by the law, you can be fined or, in worst cases, subject to criminal penalties. The following discusses some of the major laws and regulations that regulate the use of pesticides.

Federal

The United States government mainly through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is primarily responsible for regulating pesticides. The EPA is responsible for implementing federal pesticide policies under two statutes: the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, governing the sale and use of pesticide products within the United States, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which limits pesticide residues on food in interstate commerce (including imports).

Pesticide Product Labels

The pesticide label is the main method of communication between a pesticide manufacturer and pesticide users. The information that is printed on or attached to a pesticide container is called the label.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) require that chemical manufacturers and importers provide a material safety data sheet (MSDS) to the purchaser of the product to communicate the hazard potential to users.

Pesticide Registration

EPA is responsible for federal pesticide registration. After a pesticide is registered by EPA, states can register pesticides under specific state pesticide registration laws.

Licenses

Federal law requires that a person who purchases or applies a restricted use pesticide must be certified and receive periodic pesticide safety training.

Government Regulation of Adjuvants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the inclusion of certain ingredients in adjuvant formulations, but it does not stringently test and regulate the manufacture and use of adjuvant products (as they do for other pesticides).

Mixing Pesticides

Federal law allows applicators to combine pesticides unless the labeling of one or more components of the intended tank mix specifically prohibits it.

Record Keeping

In accordance with the 1990 Farm Bill, the law requires all private applicators to keep record(s) of their use of federally restricted use pesticides (RUP) for a period of 2 years. The United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Pesticide Records Branch administers the Federal pesticide recordkeeping regulations through compliance and educational outreach activities.

States

Each state has pesticide laws governing pesticide sale, use, disposal, storage and transportation. State pesticide laws may be more restrictive than federal laws, but they may not allow the sale or use of pesticides that are not allowed by federal law.

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