§ 171.307 - Certification of applicators in Indian country.

§ 171.307 Certification of applicators in Indian country.

All applicators of restricted use pesticides in Indian country must hold a certification valid in that area of Indian country, or be working under the direct supervision of a certified applicator whose certification is valid in that area of Indian country. An Indian Tribe may certify applicators of restricted use pesticides in Indian country only pursuant to a certification plan approved by the Agency that meets the requirements of paragraph (a) or (b) of this section. The Agency may implement a Federal certification plan, pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section and § 171.311, for an area of Indian country not covered by an approved plan.

(a) An Indian Tribe may choose to allow persons holding currently valid certifications issued under one or more specified State, Tribal, or Federal agency certification plans to use restricted use pesticides within the Tribe's Indian country.

(1) A certification plan under paragraph (a) of this section must consist of a written agreement between the Tribe and the relevant EPA Region(s) that contains all of the following information:

(i) A detailed map or legal description of the area(s) of Indian country covered by the plan.

(ii) A listing of the State(s), Tribe(s) or Federal agency(ies) upon whose certifications the Tribe will rely.

(iii) A description of any Tribal law, regulation, or code relating to application of restricted use pesticides in the covered area of Indian country, including a citation to each applicable Tribal law, regulation, or code.

(iv) A description of the procedures and relevant authorities for carrying out compliance monitoring under and enforcement of the plan, including all of the following:

(A) A description of the Agency and Tribal roles and procedures for conducting inspections.

(B) A description of the Agency and Tribal roles and procedures for handling case development and enforcement actions and actions on certifications, including procedures for exchange of information.

(C) A description of the Agency and Tribal roles and procedures for handling complaint referrals.

(v) A description and copy of any separate agreements relevant to administering the certification plan and carrying out related compliance monitoring and enforcement activities. The description shall include a listing of all parties involved in each separate agreement and the respective roles, responsibilities, and relevant authorities of those parties.

(2) To the extent that an Indian Tribe is precluded from exercising criminal enforcement authority, the Federal government will exercise primary criminal enforcement authority in regard to a certification plan under paragraph (a) of this section. The Tribe and the relevant EPA Region(s) shall develop a procedure whereby the Tribe will provide potential investigative leads to EPA and/or other appropriate Federal agencies in an appropriate and timely manner. This procedure shall encompass, at a minimum, all circumstances in which the Tribe is precluded from exercising relevant criminal enforcement authority. This procedure shall be included as part of the agreement between the Tribe and relevant EPA Region(s) described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(3) A plan for the certification of applicators under paragraph (a) of this section shall not be effective until the agreement between the Tribe and the relevant EPA Region(s) has been signed by the Tribe and the appropriate EPA Regional Administrator(s).

(b) An Indian Tribe may choose to develop its own certification plan for certifying private and commercial applicators to use or supervise the use of restricted use pesticides.

(1) A certification plan under paragraph (b) of this section shall consist of a written plan submitted by the Tribe to the Agency for approval that includes all of the following information:

(i) A detailed map or legal description of the area(s) of Indian country covered by the plan.

(ii) A demonstration that the plan meets all requirements of § 171.303 applicable to State plans, except that the Tribe's plan will not be required to meet the requirements of § 171.303(b)(6)(iii) with respect to provisions for criminal penalties, or any other requirement for assessing criminal penalties.

(2) To the extent that an Indian Tribe is precluded from exercising criminal enforcement authority, the Federal government will exercise primary criminal enforcement authority in regard to a certification plan under paragraph (b) of this section. The Tribe and the relevant EPA Region(s) shall develop a procedure whereby the Tribe will provide potential investigative leads to EPA and/or other appropriate Federal agencies in an appropriate and timely manner. This procedure shall encompass, at a minimum, all circumstances in which the Tribe is precluded from exercising relevant criminal enforcement authority and shall be described in a memorandum of agreement signed by the Tribe and the relevant EPA Regional Administrator(s).

(3) A plan for the certification of applicators under paragraph (b) of this section shall not be effective until the memorandum of agreement required under paragraph (b)(2) of this section has been signed by the Tribe and the relevant EPA Region(s) and the plan has been approved by the Agency.

(c) In any area of Indian country not covered by an approved certification plan, the Agency may, in consultation with the Tribe(s) affected, implement an EPA-administered certification plan under § 171.311 for certifying private and commercial applicators to use or supervise the use of restricted use pesticides.

(1) Prior to publishing a notice of a proposed EPA-administered certification plan for an area of Indian country in the Federal Register for review and comment under § 171.311(d)(3), the Agency shall notify the relevant Indian Tribe(s) of EPA's intent to propose the plan.

(2) The Agency will not implement an EPA-administered certification plan for any area of Indian country where, prior to the expiration of the notice and comment period provided under § 171.311(d)(3), the chairperson or equivalent elected leader of the relevant Tribe provides the Agency with a written statement of the Tribe's position that the plan should not be implemented.