EPA Closing in on Finalizing Pesticide Worker Safety Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency is inching closer to finalizing standards for certifying workers who apply dangerous, restricted-use pesticides to crops.
In a Federal Register notice Monday, the agency announced it has sent the rule to the Department of Agriculture for review. The USDA review is required under federal pesticide law, before the measure heads to the White House for a final review, according to Politico. The new standards would require certifications to be renewed every three years and establish new training and licensing requirements. For the first time, the regulations would also set a minimum age requirement of 18 years old for people seeking certification. The proposed rule applies only to those chemicals that pose a high health risk, including the herbicide atrazine.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.