DALLAS – (April 30, 2020) Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a grant to the Texas Department of Agriculture for $73,056. The funds will be used to support a variety of pesticide training and inspection programs. EPA is providing the funding as a multipurpose grant under a cooperative agreement.

“EPA relies on state partners to carry out the many responsibilities of pesticide training and ensuring these products are applied safely, according to their labelled use,” said Regional Administrator Ken McQueen. “We are pleased to continue supporting the Texas Department of Agriculture in their important work.”

Under the cooperative agreement, the grant will fund activities that complement and support existing environmental program grants. The Department of Agriculture will use the funds to update pesticide permit holders, applicators and other stakeholders on new federal certification and training regulations, and how those changes will affect state of Texas regulations. The Department of Agriculture will also use the funds to train pesticide inspectors on new policies and procedures.

EPA regulates pesticides under the Federal Fungicide, Insecticide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). All pesticides distributed or sold in the United States must be registered by EPA. Registration applicants must show that using the pesticide according to specifications will not generally cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment. FIFRA also covers requirements to protect pesticide workers, crops, and vulnerable species from exposure to pesticides.

More on EPA’s work in Texas: https://www.epa.gov/tx

More on EPA and pesticides: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides

Connect with EPA Region 6:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6

About EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central  

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