Posting Fact Sheet

Soil Fumigant Mitigation Measures

Current as of May 27, 2009

EPA is requiring important new safety measures for soil fumigant pesticides. This fact sheet summarizes new requirements for posting buffer zones around fumigated fields. Buffer zones will help protect agricultural workers and bystanders—people who live, work, go to school, or otherwise spend time near fields where soil fumigants are applied. It is important that bystanders stay out of buffer zones. When new fumigant labels with buffer zones appear in the marketplace in 2011, fumigant users will need to post buffer zones to ensure people know where they are and stay out.

Due to their volatile nature, soil fumigants have the potential to pose risk concerns to people involved in the application (handlers), workers who re-enter fumigated fields (workers), and people who may be near the treated area (bystanders). EPA’s Amended Reregistration Eligibility Decisions (REDs) for the fumigants chloropicrin, dazomet, metam sodium/potassium, and methyl bromide include a suite of measures designed to work together to reduce exposures, enhance safety, and facilitate compliance and enforcement. These measures include:

worker protections
fumigant management plans
stewardship and training programs
good agricultural practices
buffer zones
posting requirements
emergency preparedness and response measures

The Amended REDs are based on public comments and new scientific data and information submitted in response to EPA’s July 2008 Soil Fumigant REDs. For additional information, please see the Agency’s Web page on risk mitigation measures for the soil fumigants.

New Requirements for Posting Buffer Zones

Current soil fumigant labels require treated areas to be posted, and handlers are required to wear specific personal protective equipment when they are in a treated area. For buffer zones to be effective, bystanders need to be informed of the location of the buffer to ensure they do not enter areas designated as part of the buffer zone. The perimeter of the fumigant buffer zones must be posted as described below.

Posting of a buffer zone is required unless there is a physical barrier that prevents bystander access to the buffer zone.

Additional Posting Requirements

Buffer zone posting signs must:

Be placed at all usual points of entry and along likely routes of approach from areas where people who are not under the land owner/operator’s control may approach the buffer zone.

Some examples of points of entry include, but are not limited to, roadways, sidewalks, paths, and bike trails
Some examples of likely routes of approach are the area between a buffer zone and a roadway, or the area between a buffer zone and a housing development.

The printed side of the sign must face away from the treated area toward areas from which people could approach.
Signs must remain legible the entire posting period.
Signs must be posted before the application begins and remain posted until the buffer zone period has expired.
Signs must be removed within three days after the end of the buffer zone period.

Exception: If multiple contiguous blocks are fumigated within a 14-day period, the entire periphery of the contiguous blocks' buffer zones may be posted. The signs must remain posted until the last buffer zone period expires and signs may remain posted until three days after the buffer zone period for the last block has expired.

Contents of Signs

Signs must meet the general standards outlined in the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) for text size and legibility (see 40 CFR §170.120). Registrants must provide generic buffer zone posting signs that meet these criteria at points of sale for applicators to use.

The treated area sign (currently required for fumigants) must state the following:
-- Skull and crossbones symbol