April 16, 2008

LANSING - The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) today announced amendments to Regulation 637 - Pesticide Use - impacting the state’s licensed commercial pesticide applicator businesses and certified pesticide applicators. This marks the first amendment to the regulation since it was implemented in 1992.

“For the past year, a partnership consisting of state, industry, and environmental leaders worked together to bring this regulation up-to-date,” said Don Koivisto, MDA director. “MDA will now begin notifying our stakeholders of the revisions as well as ensuring all pesticide applicators are adhering to the changes.”

Many of the amendments to the regulation simply clarify existing requirements; however, there are two significant amendments affecting turf and ornamental lawn markers and integrated pest management/parental notification requirements.

The turf and ornamental lawn marker requirements are intended to return markers to their original symbolism and now restrict their use to pesticide applications only.

“While the regulation provides for immediate implementation, MDA is allowing applicators to use up remaining inventory of signs that comply with the previous requirements until June 30, 2008,” said Koivisto. “On July 1, firms must begin using markers that comply with the revised rules. This will allow marker manufacturers time to produce a sufficient supply and move their product into the market.”

In March of 2005, requirements for schools and day care centers to implement integrated pest management programs and notify parents prior to pesticide applications moved from the regulation into Public Act 451, Part 83. As such many of these requirements have been removed from the revised rules.

MDA will offer compliance assistance meetings to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to gain insight on how the revisions affect their business. Additionally, MDA mailed a notice of the revised rules to all 2008 licensed commercial pesticide applicator businesses and other impacted stakeholder groups.

For a copy of the revised regulation or information on a compliance meeting, visit the MDA Web site at www.michigan.gov/mda.