An official website of the United States government.
Pesticide Safety Education Program provides training for people in Alaska who apply restricted use pesticides, for people who apply any pesticides on property other than their own or their employers, for people who apply pesticides on public school (K-12) grounds and facilities. All of these situations require the applicator to be a certified pesticide applicator with the Alaska DEC Pesticide Branch. <P> The secondary purpose of PSEP is to provide consumers and the public with information on pesticide safety and pesticide hazards. The program encourages communication between pesticide safety educators, pesticide regulators, pesticide applicators and the public. PSEP is a workforce training program and an environmental conservation program. <P> The Pesticide Safety Training Program (PSEP) is a partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the USDA NIFA , the State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation - Pesticide Branch (ADEC) , and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service (UAF - CES).
Non-Technical Summary: <BR>UAF Cooperative Extension Service PSEP uses a variety of sources for training materials. The National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual is the basic text, in addition to several adapted for Alaska, Washington State University Cooperative Extension Service PSEP training manuals. We also use some other WSU PSEP manuals. We utilize other training materials from several other states and the federal government. We regularly review training materials searching for the best materials for PSEP. The manual for category #7 was developed specifically for Alaska structural pest control. <P> Approach: <BR> Alaska Pesticide Regulations are described in 18 AK Annotated Code Chapter 90 as amended through April 10, 2010. DEC's pesticide regulations include all aspects of EPA pesticide regulations plus additional restrictions specific to Alaska laws and regulations. Primary authority for pesticide manufacture, sale, use and distribution in the United States rests with US EPA. EPA's authority for pesticide oversight is included in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) as amended. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has significant input on pesticide and food issues. Knowledge of Alaska DEC pesticide regulations is essential for anyone wishing to purchase and use pesticides in Alaska. Certified pesticide applicators must be able to read and follow label instructions and regulations. As a certified pesticide applicator you alone are responsible for safe, legal pesticide application. PSEP (a program of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service) provides workshops throughout Alaska for initial pesticide applicator certification and re-certification of existing certified pesticide applicators. Pesticide certification is provided through the State of Alaska DEC Pesticide branch. PSEP provides training materials and workshops and administers DEC pesticide applicator exams as a service to persons involved in the Cooperative Extension Service PSEP training. Workshops take one to two days depending on the particular category of use a person seeks certification in. Persons in remote locations may opt for a self paced home study of PSEP materials and arrange for a locally administered DEC pesticide certification exam. The following are the DEC pesticide Applicator categories: Category # 1 - Regulatory Pest Control Category # 2 - Demonstration and Research Pest Control Category # 3 - Private Agriculture Pest Control Category # 4 - Ornamental and Turf Pest Control Category # 5 - Antifouling Paint Category # 6 - Aquatic Pest Control Category # 7 - Industrial, Institutional, Structural, and Health-Related Pest Control Category # 8 - Public Health Pest Control Category #9 - Right of Way Control Category # 10 - Mosquito and Biting Fly Pest Control Category #11 - Aerial Pest Control Category #12 - Forest Pest Control Category #13 - Wood Preservatives Category #14 - Restricted-Use Pesticide Dealers AK DEC Pesticide Branch "Do you need to be a certified Pesticide Applicator"