About EPA's Pesticides Program
Current as of April 2007
EPA and the states (usually the State Department of Agriculture) register or license pesticides for use in the United States. In addition, anyone planning to import pesticides for use in the U.S. must notify EPA. EPA receives its authority to register pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
EPA's Pesticides work crosses many programs within EPA. The Office of Pesticide Programs along with the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) work with 10 Regional Offices and other EPA program offices on a wide range of Pesticide issues and topics, such as:
- Evaluating Potential New Pesticides and Uses
- Providing for Special Local Needs and Emergency Situations
- Reviewing Safety of Older Pesticides
- Registering Pesticide Producing Establishments
- Enforcing Pesticide Requirements
- Overview of risk assessment in the pesticide program
- Pesticide Field Programs - The field program is made up of the frontline implementation activities carried out by states, tribes, and EPA Regional pesticide experts. The components of the field program are worker protection, certification and training, endangered species protection, water quality activities, and pesticide user education programs such as the Strategic Agricultural Initiative and the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program.