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PesticideRegulation1 TheInstituteofFoodandAgriculturalSciencesisanEqualOpportunity/AffirmativeActionEmployerauthorizedtoprovideresearch,educational informationandotherservicesonlytoindividualsandinstitutionsthatfunctionwithoutregardtorace,color,sex,ornationalorigin. FloridaCooperativeExtensionService/InstituteofFoodandAgriculturalSciences/UniversityofFlorida/ChristineTaylorStephens,DeanM.T.Olexa2WHOREGULATESPESTICIDES?Theuseofagriculturalpesticidesfallswithinthe purviewofseveralfederalstatutesaswellasFlorida law.Underfederallaw,pesticidesareprimarily regulatedbytheFederalInsecticide,Fungicideand RodenticideAct(FIFRA).Manyotherfederal statutesandagenciescomeintoplay,though,inmore particularsituations.Floridahaspassedadditional legislationdesignedspecificallytocovertheuseof pesticides,withenforcementauthorityvested primarilyintheFloridaDepartmentofAgriculture& ConsumerServices(DACS).Manyoftheselawsand regulationsaresimilartothoseenactedbythefederal government.WHATISSOIMPORTANTABOUTPESTICIDE LABELS?Pesticidelabelshavebecomeacentraltoolfor enforcementofboththeFederalInsecticide, FungicideandRodenticideActandstatelaw. Under FIFRA,usersmustcomplywithalltheapplicationand precautionaryinstructionsonthelabel.Inthissense, thelabelisthelaw. Failuretocomplywiththelabel canresultinstrictpenalties.Itisimportanttonote thatthefarmercanbepenalizedevenifanemployee ofthefarmerwasresponsibleforthefailuretofollow thelabelinstructions. TheFloridastatutesexcusepesticideusersfrom followingtheinstructionsonthelabelonlytothe extentthat: *thepesticidemaybeappliedinlesserdosages, concentrations,orfrequenciesthanrecommended bythelabel,or *thepesticidemaybeusedagainstapestnot specifiedasatargetpestbythelabel,solongas theapplicationistoacrop,animalorsite specifiedbythelabelandthelabeldoesnot prohibittheapplication,or *applicatorsmayemployanymethodof applicationnotprohibitedbythelabeling,or *applicatorsmaymixthepesticidewithafertilizer whennotprohibitedbythelabeling.HOWAREPESTICIDESCLASSIFIED?BoththeEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyand theFloridaDepartmentofAgricultureandConsumer Serviceshaveclassifiedallpesticides,basedontheir activeingredient,aseither"general-usepesticide"or "restricted-usepesticides."General-usePesticidesGeneral-usepesticidesmaybeappliedbyanyone whofollowsthelabelinstructionsandadherestothe law.Restricted-usePesticidesRestricted-usepesticides,however,mayonlybe appliedbylicensedapplicatorsorthoseworking underthedirectsupervisionofalicensedapplicator. AllEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyclassified restricted-usepesticidesareincorporatedintothe 1.ThisdocumentwaspublishedJanuary1993asFRE136,FloridaCooperativeExtensionService.Formoreinformation,contactyourcounty CooperativeExtensionServiceoffice. 2.AssociateProfessor,FoodandResourceEconomics,CooperativeExtensionService,InstituteofFoodandAgriculturalSciences,University ofFlorida,Gainesville.

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PesticideRegulation Page2 DepartmentofAgricultureandConsumerServices listbyreference.DACShasalsoissueditsownlist, however,soapesticidecouldconceivablyberestricted inFloridawhilestillopentogeneraluseunderEPA rules. Bothfederalandstatelawprovidefordifferent typesoflicensesforprivateandcommercial applicatorsofrestricted-usepesticides.Generally, privateapplicatorsareauthorizedtoapplypesticide totheirlandonly.Testingandotherrequirements aredifferentforprivateandcommercialapplicators. Thedistinctionisalsoimportantwithregardto licenseviolations,ascommercialapplicatorsare subjecttosubstantiallymoreseverepenaltiesthan privateapplicators.WHENISANATIONALPOLLUTANT DISCHARGEELIMINATIONSYSTEMPERMIT REQUIRED?UnderthefederalCleanWaterAct,anypoint sourcepollutionofanavigablewaterwaymusthavea NationalPollutantDischargeEliminationSystem permitfromtheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency. Whileirrigationreturnflowisexemptedfromthis requirement,otheragriculturalpollutingactivitiesare not.Forinstance,aditchcontainingfertilizersor pesticidesenteringnavigablewaterwaysisapoint sourceofpollution,andissubjecttothepermitting requirementsofthisact.WHATABOUTDRINKINGWATER?Anypollutantintroducedintoasourceof drinkingwater,includingwellsandaquifers,issubject toregulationunderthefederalSafeDrinkingWater Act.Itshouldbementionedthatthisacthasbeen interpretedtocoverirrigationreturnflowwhichseeps backintosubsurfacewaterasan"underground injection"iftheflowcarriesanypollutants.HOWHOWSHOULDSHOULDPESTICIDES PESTICIDESBEBESTOREDSTORED ANDANDDISPOSED DISPOSEDOF?OF?TheFederalInsecticide,Fungicideand RodenticideActrequirementsforadherencetolabel instructionsalsoextendstothestorageanddisposal ofpesticides.Further,pesticidesoftenfallwithinthe "hazardouswaste"classificationsoftheResource ConservationandRecoveryAct,andareusually subjectto"solidwaste"disposalregulations. TheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyprovides guidelinesforthestorageanddisposalofpesticides which,whilenotmandatory,arehelpfulindealing withspecificsoflocatingstoragesites,protecting groundwaterandotherwaysofavoiding environmentalcontamination.WHATARETHEANTISYPHON REQUIREMENTS?Floridalawrequiresthatallirrigationsystems whichareusedtoadministercropmanagement materials,suchaspesticidesorfertilizers,beequipped withantisyphondevicestopreventthebackflowof pesticideorfertilizer-contaminatedwatertothe aquifer.Theserulesalsoapplytopesticidespremixedwithfertilizer,althoughsuchmixturesmustbe clearlylabeledassuchbeforetheymaybeofferedfor sale.Thespecificationsforantisyphondevicesare spelledoutintherulespromulgatedbythe DepartmentofAgricultureandConsumerServices.SOURCESANDCONTACTINFORMATIONSources:7U.S.C.to136y;40U.S.C.fto 300j-26;33U.S.C.to1387;Fla.Stat. Chapter487;5E-2,F.A.C. ContactInforamtion:Departmentof EnvironmentalRegulation DepartmentofNatural Resources NationalPesticide Telecommunications Network FloridaAdministratorofEPA PesticideRegulation