§ 171.7 - Submission and approval of State plans for certification of commercial and private applicators of restricted use pesticides.

§ 171.7 Submission and approval of State plans for certification of commercial and private applicators of restricted use pesticides.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 82 FR 1029, Jan. 4, 2017.

Cross Reference

This amendment was delayed to Mar. 21, 2017, at 82 FR 8499, Jan. 26, 2017.

Cross Reference

This amendment was further delayed until May 22, 2017, at 82 FR 14324, Mar. 20, 2017.

Cross Reference

This amendment was further delayed until June 5, 2017, at 82 FR 23148, May 22, 2017.

Cross Reference

This amendment was further delayed until May 22, 2018, at 82 FR 25529, June 2, 2017.

If any State, at any time, desires to certify applicators of restricted use pesticides, the Governor of that State shall submit a State plan for that purpose. The Administrator shall approve the plan submitted by any State, or any modification thereof, if the plan in his judgment -

(a) Designates a State agency as the agency responsible for administering the plan throughout the State. Since several other agencies or organizations may also be involved in administering portions of the State plan, all of these shall be identified in the State plan, particularly any other agencies or organizations responsible for certifying applicators and suspending or revoking certification. In the extent that more than one governmental agency will be responsible for performing certain functions under the State plans, the plans shall identify which functions are to be performed by which agency and indicate how the program will be coordinated by the lead agency to ensure consistency of programs within the State. The lead agency will serve as the central contact point for the Environmental Protection Agency in carrying out the certification program. The numbers and job titles of the responsible officials of the lead agency and cooperating units shall be included.

(b) Contains satisfactory assurances that such lead agency has or will have the legal authority and qualified personnel necessary to carry out the plan:

(1) Satisfactory assurances that the lead agency or other cooperating agencies have the legal authority necessary to carry out the plans should be in the form of an opinion of the Attorney General or the legal counsel of the lead agency. In addition:

(i) The lead agency should submit a copy of each appropriate State law and regulation.

(ii) In those States where any requisite legal authorities are pending enactment and/or promulgation, the Governor (or Chief Executive) may request that a State plan be approved contingent upon the enactment and/or promulgation of such authorities. Plans approved on a contingency basis will be subject to such reasonable terms and conditions, concerning the duration of the contingency approval and other matters, as the Administrator may impose. During the period of the contingency approval, the State will have an approved certification program and may proceed to certify applicators, who will then be permitted to use or supervise the use of pesticides classified for restricted use under FIFRA, as amended.

(iii) The State plan should indicate by citations to specific laws (whether enacted or pending enactment) and/or regulations (whether promulgated or pending promulgation) that the State has legal authorities as follows:

(A) Provisions for and listing of the acts which constitute grounds for denying, suspending, and revoking certification of applicators, and for assessing criminal and/or civil penalties. Such grounds should include, at a minimum, misuse of a pesticide and falsification of any records required to be maintained by the certified applicator.

(B) Provisions for reviewing an applicator's certification to determine whether suspension or revocation of the certification is appropriate in the event of criminal conviction under section 14(b) of the amended FIFRA, a final order imposing civil penalty under section 14(a) of the amended FIFRA, or conclusion of a State enforcement action.

(C) Provisions for right-of-entry by consent or warrant by appropriate State officials at reasonable times for sampling, inspection, and observation purposes.

(D) Provisions making it unlawful for persons other than certified applicators or persons working under their direct supervision to use restricted use pesticides.

(E) Provisions requiring certified commercial applicators to keep and maintain for the period of at least two years routine operational records containing information on kinds, amounts, uses, dates, and places of application of restricted use pesticides; and for ensuring that such records will be available to appropriate State officials.

(2) Satisfactory assurances that the lead agency and any cooperating organizations have qualified personnel necessary to carry out the plan will be demonstrated by including the numbers, job titles and job functions of persons so employed.

(c) Gives satisfactory assurances that the State will devote adequate funds to the administration of the plan.

(d) Provides that the State agency will make reports to the Administrator in a manner and containing information that the Administrator may from time to time require, including:

(1) An annual report to be submitted by the lead agency, at a time to be specified by the State, to include the following information:

(i) Total number of applicators, private and commercial, by category, currently certified; and number of applicators, private and commercial, by category, certified during the last reporting period.

(ii) Any changes in commercial applicator subcategories.

(iii) A summary of enforcement activities related to use of restricted use pesticides during the last reporting period.

(iv) Any significant proposed changes in required standards of competency.

(v) Proposed changes in plans and procedures for enforcement activities related to use of restricted use pesticides for the next reporting period.

(vi) Any other proposed changes from the State plan that would significantly affect the State certification program.

(2) Other reports as may be required by the Administrator shall be submitted from time to time to meet specific needs.

(e) Contains satisfactory assurances that the State standards for the certification of applicators of pesticides conform to those standards prescribed by the Administrator under §§ 171.1 through 171.6. Such assurances should consist of:

(1) A detailed description of the State's plan for certifying applicators and a discussion of any special situations, problems, and needs together with an explanation of how the State intends to handle them. The State plan should include the following elements as a minimum:

(i) For commercial applicators:

(A) A list and description of categories and subcategories to be used in the State, such categories to be consistent with those defined in § 171.3.

(B) An estimate of the number of commercial applicators by category expected to be certified by the State.

(C) The standards of competency elaborated by the State. These shall conform and be at least equal to those prescribed in § 171.4 for the various categories of applicators utilized by the State. The standards shall also cover each of the points listed in the general standards in § 171.4(b) and the points covered in the appropriate specific standards set forth in § 171.4(c).

(D) For each category and subcategory listed under § 171.7(e)(1)(i)(A), either submission of examinations or a description of the types and contents of examinations (e.g., multiple choice, true-false) and submission of sample examination questions; and a description of any performance testing used to determine competency of applicators.

(ii) For private applicators:

(A) An estimate of the number of private applicators expected to be certified by the State.

(B) The standards of competency elaborated by the State. These shall conform and be at least equal to those prescribed in § 171.5(a), including the five requirements listed in § 171.5(a) (1) through (5).

(C) Types and contents of examinations and/or submission of detailed description of methods other than examination used to determine competency of private applicators.

(D) A description of any special procedure of testing that a State develops to determine the competency of a private applicator who is unable to read the label as prescribed in § 171.5(b)(1).

(2) A provision for issuance by the State of appropriate credentials or documents verifying certification of applicators.

(3) If appropriate, a description of any existing State licensing, certification or authorization programs for private applicators or for one or more categories of commercial applicators may be included. If these programs are determined by EPA to meet standards of competency prescribed by §§ 171.1 through 171.6, States may certify applicators so licensed, certified or authorized without any additional demonstration of competency provided:

(i) The commercial applicators who were licensed, certified, or authorized have demonstrated their competency based on written examinations and, as appropriate, performance testing, conforming to the standards set forth in § 171.4, and

(ii) The private applicators who were licensed, certified, or authorized have demonstrated their competency by written or oral testing procedures or other acceptable equivalent system, conforming to the standards set forth in § 171.5.

(4) A statement that the State accepts Federal employees qualified under the Government Agency Plan (GAP) as fully meeting the requirements for certification by that State; or a description of any additional requirements these employees must meet to apply restricted use pesticides in that State. Any such additional requirements shall be consistent with and shall not exceed standards established for other comparable applicators in that State.

(i) Until such time as the GAP has been fully developed and approved by EPA, this statement (§ 171.7(e)(4)) is not required. However, within 60 days after final approval of the GAP, the State should forward such a statement for inclusion in its State plan.

(5) A description of any cooperative agreements a State has made with any Indian Governing Body to certify or assist in the certification of applicators not subject to State jurisdiction. (§ 171.10).

(6) A description of any arrangements that a State has made or plans to make relating to reciprocity with other States or jurisdictions for the acceptance of certified applicators from those States or jurisdictions. However, those arrangements should meet these conditions:

(i) The State according reciprocity should provide for issuance of an appropriate document verifying certification based upon the certifying document issued by the other States or jurisdictions.

(ii) The State according reciprocity should have enforcement procedures that cover out-of-State applicators determined to be competent and certified within the State or jurisdiction.

(iii) The detailed State or jurisdiction standards of competency, for each category identified in the reciprocity arrangement should be sufficiently comparable to justify waiving an additional determination of competency by the State granting reciprocity.

(f) In responding to the preceding requirements, a State may describe in its State plan other regulatory activities implemented under State laws or regulations which will contribute to the desired control of the use of restricted use pesticides by certified applicators. Such other regulatory activities, if described, will be considered by the Administrator in evaluating whether or not a State's certified applicator program satisfies the requirements of § 171.7 (a) through (e).

[40 FR 11702, Mar. 12, 1975]