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Growers Reminded to Apply Pesticides Properly

Release Date: 05/27/2009
Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov

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Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., May 27, 2009) - EPA is reminding growers and pesticide applicators to pay attention to label requirements when applying pesticides to crops near harvest time.

“All pesticide label instructions need to be followed and it’s especially important that pesticides are applied the proper number of days before harvest,” said Jamie Green, Chief of EPA’s Region 7 Toxics and Pesticides Branch in Kansas City. “EPA and our state regulatory partners want to avoid a repeat of the situation faced by a number of Kansas and Nebraska wheat growers in 2008. A late season fungicide application contributed to delayed harvests by some growers in order to ensure compliance with federal regulations.”

Growers and pesticide applicators may both be held responsible for assuring compliance with pre-harvest intervals and other post-application requirements. The waiting period, listed as a pre-harvest interval on pesticide labels, is the minimum number of days a grower must wait before harvesting a treated crop.

EPA and our state partners are responsible for ensuring compliance with pesticide label directions.
Failure to follow label instructions is a violation of federal and state pesticide laws.