REGULATORY SERVICES
Pesticide Regulation Changes in Virginia
The following significant amendments to the Certification Regulation, 2 VAC 20-51, were published as Final in the October 13, 2008 Virginia Register of Regulations Volume 25, Issue 3:
- Clarifying that a certified commercial applicator supervising an applicator training to become a registered technician (“direct on-site supervision”) must actually be watching the application of pesticides by the trainee
- Requiring that once a person is hired or transferred into a position involving commercial pesticide use, all required training and testing would have to be completed within 90 days of such hiring or transfer. If the trainee fails the RT exam the first time, he must reapply and retake the exam within 30 days after the first attempt at testing. If the trainee does not take or does not pass the exam the second time as required, he cannot apply pesticides on the job (even with supervision) until he does.
- Requiring additional documented training for Registered Technicians who move from one pesticide application field to another (ex. A technician moves from a pest control company to a lawn care company.)
- Deleting the option of commercial applicators being able to proctor the Registered Technician exam
- Requiring all commercial applicators and registered technicians to keep records of all pesticides applied on the job.
To see the final amendments in the Virginia Register, click here.
Detailed information on these changes and other minor changes is available on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall, Board: Pesticide Control Board.
Effective date for these amendments is December 1, 2008. On that date the revised regulations should be available on the Office of Pesticide Services website. For the complete text, click here.
For all licensed pesticide businesses:
Several amendments to 2 VAC 20-40, the regulations affecting licensed pesticide businesses became effective October 5, 2006. The most significant change requires that pesticide businesses keep records of all pesticide applications. These records require the same data elements previously required by regulation for restricted use pesticide applications. Information was sent to all licensed pesticide businesses in October 2006.
For the complete text of the new regulations, click here.
New Training Manuals and Certification Exams Available
Five new or revised commercial pesticide applicator training manuals are now available by mail or telephone order from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Publications Distribution Center. The five new titles are Chemigation, Seed Treatment, Sewer Root Pest Control, Regulatory Pest Control and Demonstration and Research. These can be used to prepare for pesticide applicator certification exams in Category 1D - Chemigation, Category 4 - Seed treatment (excluding fumigation). Category 7E - Sewer root pest control, Category 9 - Regulatory pest control, and Category 10 - Demonstration and research pest control, respectively.
These certification exams are now based on the new manuals and are available at VDACS testing sites and Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Customer Service Centers.