EPA Plan for a Request for Grant Applications

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EPA Support for Training to Serve States' Pesticide Applicator Certification Programs
The goal of the pesticide applicator certification program is to ensure pesticide applicator competency to apply restricted use pesticides in a manner that does not cause risk to human health and the environment.

Certification Program Facts
By statute and regulation, EPA establishes national standards for certifying pesticide applicator competency to apply restricted use pesticides. Certification programs are administered by regulatory agencies in states, tribes, and territories. There is no explicit statutory mandate for applicator training. However, training and educational resources are the primary means to assist applicators in obtaining and maintaining competence.

Program Assessment
EPA and a wide range of stakeholders have assessed the pesticide applicator safety education program and made the following recommendations:
• Improve the funding mechanism to promote efficient and effective use of resources,
• Clarify training priorities,
• Implement program efficiencies,
• Establish accountability measures.

Plans to Address Recommendations
• EPA plans to initiate a new mechanism for EPA funding for the training support of state applicator certification programs.

• The Agency plans to open a competition by publishing a request for applications from potential cooperators to enter into multi-year cooperative agreements to support the development of training programs for pesticide certification, such as written training materials, on-line training programs, videos, DVDs, Power Point presentations, innovative lesson plans, and curricula for training programs.

• The audience for such products or tools would be candidates seeking initial applicator certification to use restricted use pesticides. It would be acceptable if such products or tools also could be used within state recertification regimes.

• The competition process will be open to lead pesticide regulatory agencies and to state cooperative extension services, and will consider the ability of the respondents to leverage resources, demonstrate efficiency, cover broad geographic regions and reduce duplication of efforts.

• EPA plans to publish the request for applications in the spring of 2012. The request for applications will have a 90-day response period.


Kevin Keaney, Chief
Pesticide Worker Safety Programs
Pesticide Container - Containment Program
703-305-5557
keaney.kevin@epa.gov

U.S. EPA (7506-P)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20460