Notice of Approval Status; Certifying Authorities' Amended Plans for Certification of Commercial and Private Applicators of Restricted Use Pesticides; Batch Three

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing its approval of fifteen amended certification plans for certifying applicators of Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs) from the following certifying authorities: Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI), American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (AS- EPA), Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Bureau of Environmental & Coastal Quality-- Division of Environmental Quality, Pesticides Branch (CNMI-BECQ-DEQ), Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA), Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA), Maryland Department of Agriculture (MdDA), Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MnDA), North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDACS), North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA), Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), and Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA). The amended plans are consistent with the existing regulatory requirements, including revisions made in 2017 to enhance and improve the competency of certified applicators of RUPs and persons working under their direct supervision. The 2017 regulatory revisions are intended to further reduce potential exposure of RUPs to certified applicators and those working under their direct supervision, other workers, the public, and the environment. Federal, state, territory, and tribal certifying authorities with existing certification plans were required to revise their existing plans to conform with the updated federal standards for RUP applicator certification and receive EPA approval by the established regulatory deadline.