WOOSTER, Ohio – Two pesticide applicator schools are slated for early November to help Ohio sawmill workers prepare for something they might not have done before: take the test to be certified as licensed pesticide applicators.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently reclassified chlorpyrifos – the active ingredient in two widely used wood-preservation pesticides, Busan 1245 and Timbertreat – as restricted.
That means sawmill workers who buy or apply these two pesticides must be certified as licensed pesticide applicators. Until now they didn’t.
Two locations. The programs are Nov. 7, 1-4:30 p.m., at the Ohio State University Learning Center South, 1864 Shyville Road, Piketon, and Nov. 8, 1-4:30 p.m. in Fisher Auditorium, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster.
The Piketon and Wooster programs will be similar, focusing on pesticide safety, product-specific safety training, and wood technology and treatment.
Registration. The cost, $10, covers workbooks and refreshments and is payable at the door. Reservations, required because of limited space, are due by Nov. 1.
Call 740-289-2071 for more information about the Piketon school. For details about the Wooster program call 330-674-3015.
The testing itself, administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, is offered throughout the year at locations around the state. For dates and locations call 614-292-4070 or go to http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~pested.
Further information about the testing – including how to apply for a license, an application form, study materials, testing locations and other educational opportunities – are available from county Ohio State Extension offices or at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~pested.
