National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Research Foundation to Coordinate Events to Support Pesticide Safety and Education Programs

National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Research Foundation to Coordinate Events to Support Pesticide Safety and Education Programs EPA has entered into two cooperative agreements with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Research Foundation (NASDARF). The first cooperative agreement is to coordinate meetings, workshops and conferences with EPA’s partners and stakeholders to advance the safe use of pesticides. The second cooperative agreement with NASDARF will support a Funding Distribution Program for Pesticide Safety Education Programs (PSEPs). These cooperative agreements are especially needed due to EPA’s recent revisions to the Worker Protection Standard. They will help meet the greater need for collaboration and resources over the next five years due to revisions to the Worker Protection Standard and Certified Applicator regulations. The PSEPs play a vital role in communicating with the pesticide applicator community how to comply with federal pesticide regulations. The application solicitations for the cooperative agreements were announced in May 2015. Examples of events to be coordinated under the first agreement may include: National Pesticide Applicator Certification and Training Workshops and Certification and Training Assessment Group meetings, as well as other regional and workgroup meetings. The total funding for the meeting support agreement is about $2.5 million with $700,000 available for the first year. PSEPs provide training and education across the country to pesticide applicators on how to safely apply and handle restricted use pesticides. PSEPs are usually administered through State Cooperative Extension Services at Land Grant Universities. The total funding for the five-year period of the cooperative agreement is about $5 million with $1,000,000 available for the first year of the agreement. To learn more about pesticide worker safety, visit www2.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety