On November 2nd, the EPA announced the final approval of 67 updated plans for certifying applicators of Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs). All 50 states, 5 territories, 6 federal agencies, 6 tribes, and the District of Columbia (certifying authorities) worked with EPA to complete the plan approval process. The approved plans comply with the 2017 Certification of Pesticide Applicators (CPA) final rule, which established stronger standards for people who apply restricted-use pesticides (RUPs), including aerial applicators.
The 2017 CPA rule mandated that certifying authorities with existing RUP certification plans submit proposed modifications to comply with these new standards to EPA for approval by November 4, 2023. Requirements in the rule included the following:
- More comprehensive training programs or an exam for certifying RUP applicators.
- New specialized categories for certain types of applications, one being aerial. This means all aerial applicators throughout the U.S. must have training/testing specifically designed for aerial application. With PAASS, Operation S.A.F.E. and C-PAASS curriculum available for states to use in this capacity, NAAA is urging these programs’ use for this purpose.
- Set the minimum age to 18 for RUP applicators (16 for on family farms if under supervision of certified applicator).
- Requires safety training in a language they can understand for noncertified applicators working under the direction of a certified applicator.
- Stipulates that certifications are valid for a maximum of five years.
This will affect the state pesticide certification process for all aerial applicators as states, tribes, territories, and federal agencies begin implementing their plans. Copies of EPA approved RUP certifications plans can be found on the
Certification Plan and Reporting Database (CPARD). For more information on the requirements for RUP applicators, visit EPA’s
Certification Standards for Pesticide Applicators website. If you want to reach out to your state’s pesticide lead agency to find out more details on implementation plans, you can find the appropriate contact
here. NAAA will continue working to ensure certifying authorities are aware of existing aerial application education opportunities including PAASS, Operation S.A.F.E. and C-PAASS.
