Pesticide Safety

Plants
Pesticide Safety Training

The Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) provides training for people in Alaska who: 

  • apply restricted use pesticides
  • apply any pesticides on property other than their own or their employers
  • 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.

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.

For more information regarding the Pesticide Applicator Workshops or general program information contact Casey Matney. For information on Pesticide Safety Program Traning, contact Phil Kaspari.

 

 

Check the calendar on this page for the current PSEP class schedule.

Part of our program includes 8 self-paced online classes that qualify for CEUs for Certified Pesticide Applicators. The classes are available online for free, but if CEUs are desired there is a registration fee.  Course topics include bird vetch, controlling the spread of invasive plants and more.

Remember:  Always read and follow the EPA approved pesticide label.

Pesticide safety is a matter of public concern.  All pesticides are poisons.  Pesticides should only be used to control a known pest and only when other, less toxic options have been tried and failed.  Pesticides should always be part of an integrated pest management system.

Consumers should be aware that  the federal Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 gave EPA categorical authority to exclude pest control products which may include any of 63 naturally occurring substances as exempt for EPA regulations.  These products, often marketed as poison free are untested as to their hazard to human health, the environment and non target organisms, or on their ability to control pests.

Information from the National Pesticide Information Center!

Common Pesticide Question:
Dirty Work Clothes: How Should I Wash Out Pesticides?

http://npic.orst.edu/capro/DirtyClothes.pdf

To browse the whole collection of Fact Sheets, visit this site:
http://npic.orst.edu/npicfact.htm

Signal Words Topic Fact Sheet from the National Pesticide Information Center  

www.npic.orst.edu/factsheets/signalwords.pdf

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Pesticide Control Program hosts a website that allows you to search for pesticide products for use in Alaska: https://www.kellysolutions.com/ak/pesticideindex.htm

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Pesticide Control Program hosts a website that allows you to search for Alaska Certified Applicators: https://www.kellysolutions.com/ak/Applicators/index.asp

Pesticide product registration is regulated by the State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. You can register pesticide products through their website: https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/pest/registration/

The Pesticide Control Program is the Alaska regulatory body that regulates the use, disposal, storage, and sale of pesticides. On this website you can find information about:

  • Bed Bugs
  • Integrated Pest Management
  • Pesticide-Use Permits
  • Pesticides and Water Quality

Information regarding Pesticides and Endangered Species (EPA) can be found through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Pesticide Safety Training Program is a partnership between the