Pesticide (PREP) Lab Issues Course March 19-22 State-Tribes

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We invite you to participate in the 2012 Pesticide Regulatory Education Program: Laboratory Issues Course that will be held Monday-Thursday, March 19-22, 2012 in Davis, California. This four-day course is offered by UC Davis Extension and is funded by a grant provided the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The goal of this course is for participants to share knowledge, expertise and processes in order to: 1) explore the future face of the pesticide analytical laboratory; 2) identify areas of potential collaboration to increase efficiencies in pesticide laboratory operations in the face of continued declining resources; 3) identify future training mechanisms; and 4) discuss issues/concerns of mutual interest.
The primary target audience for this course is state/tribal/territory laboratory directors/supervisors or senior analysts who have input into the decisions made in the laboratory and who work under FIFRA Cooperative Agreements. Secondary priority will be given to state/tribal/territory compliance/enforcement managers or supervisors. This course will focus on policy and operational issues faced by the laboratories that support the state/tribal/territory pesticide regulatory programs and is NOT intended to be a “hands-on technical” workshop. We ask that you please forward this invitation to the appropriate people in your agency or jurisdiction who fit the target audience criteria. The planning group will review all nominations for selection and participants will receive a formal acceptance letter.

Possible topics for this course may include:
• New challenges in residue chemistry, analytical methodologies and instrumentation;
• Revisiting ISO 17025 accreditation for FIFRA labs;
• Mechanisms needed to facilitate national training workshops;
• Succession planning and retaining institutional memory in the laboratory workforce;
• Explore a national memorandum of understanding for mutual aid in emergencies;
• National/regional/state laboratory integration in the face of economic resource constraints; and
• IT – where we’ve been and where we need to go.
The course schedule includes lectures, group discussions, and a possible field trip. State/tribe/territory participants may be required to deliver a 10- or 15-minute presentation on a topic to be determined by the course planning group. Details for the presentation will be provided in subsequent correspondence pending acceptance in the course.

To ensure your agency's attendance, please nominate one individual who meets our target audience criteria by Tuesday, January 3, 2012. Laboratories and enforcement divisions may submit forms independently. Invited participants include representatives from States, Territories, Native American tribes and U.S. EPA Regional and Headquarters offices. We will be accepting 26 people from states/tribes/territories into this course, in addition to as many interested U.S. EPA participants as space permits. All travel costs, accommodations, expenses and training materials for the program will be provided to all state/tribal/territory participants (excluding EPA participants.) We require a commitment from all participants for the entire four-day session, which includes a graduation dinner on the last evening of class.

For the past few years several of the PREP classes were oversubscribed resulting in a number of unsuccessful nominations. To better clarify the process for selecting attendees the PREP Steering Committee has approved a written process. Please refer to the attached Selection Process document. As you can see, it is important to fully complete the nomination form.

After referring to the attached Selection Process document, please complete the attached nomination form along with a description of the nominee’s current job responsibilities. Also indicate how the nominee meets the target audience and why training is essential to their position. Please note that planning groups consider responses in all three of these areas when making attendee selection. Return nomination materials in their entirety and in Word format by Tuesday January 3, 2012 via e-mail to Rose Cook at rcook@ucdavis.edu. Please do not mail and do not submit hand-written nomination forms as PDF files. (If you do not have email capabilities at your agency, then call Rose at (530) 757-8918 to make other submittal arrangements.) After you email your form, Rose will provide an email receipt of your nomination form within 5 days. We will update the web site every few days with a list of nominations received. It does not indicate acceptance into the course, only that we have your materials. If you do not see your nomination listed on the web or have not received from us a message that we have it, then we do not have your materials! In this case please call. We will notify participants of their placement in the course along with travel and logistical information by early February. If you need more information on the nomination process, call Suzanne Forsyth at (530) 757-8603 or visit the PREP website at http://www.prep-gov.net.

A note about the UC Davis travel reimbursement process: pending your acceptance into the course you will receive a travel voucher with full instructions. However, your nomination form needs to indicate the address where you would like your reimbursement mailed (if it is different than your work address.) If you do not provide an alternate (e.g., home) address, then your check will be mailed to your attention at the agency address provided on your nomination form. As such, please make sure to fully indicate in your agency address any pertinent mailstops or other delivery information that will expedite the delivery of your payment.

We look forward to continuing our work in presenting this worthwhile program and appreciate your assistance in selecting appropriate senior individuals.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Forsyth
PREP Program Manager
UC Davis Extension
Health, Education & Policy Unit
1333 Research Park Drive
Davis, CA 95618
(530) 757-8603
spforsyth@ucdavis.edu
Dea Zimmerman
PREP Coordinator
U.S. EPA
Office of Pesticide Programs
77 West Jackson Blvd., Mail Code: LC-8J
Chicago, IL 60604-3507
(312) 353-6344
zimmerman.dea@epa.gov