Pesticide Management

Pesticide use should be part of an overall pest management strategy that includes biological controls, cultural methods, pest monitoring, and other applicable practices, referred altogether as IPM. When a pesticide application is deemed necessary, its selection should be based on effectiveness, toxicity to non-target species, cost, site characteristics, and its solubility and persistence in the environment.

Regulatory Considerations

Principle

Pesticides contain active ingredients (the component that targets the pest) and inert ingredients such as solvents, surfactants, and carriers. Both active and inert ingredients may be controlled or regulated by federal, state, and local laws because of environmental and health concerns.

Best Management Practices

Only apply pesticides that are legally registered at all levels of jurisdiction.
Only apply pesticides that are legally registered for use on the facility (for example, do not apply pesticides labeled for agricultural uses even though they may have the same active ingredient).
Apply according to manufacturer recommendations as seen on label.

Human Health Risks

Principle

Pesticides belong to numerous chemical classes that vary greatly in their toxicity. The human health risk associated with pesticide use is related to both pesticide toxicity and the level of exposure. The risk of a very highly toxic pesticide may be very low if the exposure is sufficiently small.

Best Management Practices

Select the least toxic pesticide with the lowest exposure potential.
Know the emergency response procedure in case excessive exposure occurs.

Environmental Fate and Transport

Principle

Environmental characteristics of a pesticide can often be determined by the environmental hazards statement found on pesticide product labels. The environmental hazards statement (referred to as “Environmental Hazards” on the label and found under the general heading “Precautionary Statements”) provides the precautionary language advising the user of the potential hazards to the environment from the use of the product. The environmental hazards generally fall into three categories: (1) general environmental hazards, (2) non-target toxicity, and (3) endangered species protection.

Best Management Practices

Select pesticides that have a low runoff and leaching potential.
Before applying a pesticide, evaluate the impact of site-specific characteristics (for example, proximity to surface water, water table, and well-heads; soil type; prevailing wind; etc.) and pesticide-specific characteristics (for example, half-lives and partition coefficients)
Select pesticides with reduced impact on pollinators.
Select pesticides that, when applied according to the label, have no known effect on endangered species present on the facility.

Pesticide Transportation, Storage, and Handling

Principle

Storage and handling of pesticides in their concentrated form poses the highest potential risk to ground or surface waters. For this reason, it is essential that facilities for storing and handling these products be properly sited, designed, constructed, and operated.

Best Management Practices

Store, mix, and load pesticides away from sites that directly link to surface water or groundwater.
Store pesticides in a lockable concrete or metal building that is separate from other buildings.
Locate pesticide storage facilities from other types of structure to allow fire department access.
Storage facility floors should be impervious and sealed with a chemical-resistant paint.
Floors should have a continuous sill to retain spilled materials and no drains, although a sump may be included.
Sloped ramps should be provided at the entrance to allow the use of wheeled handcarts for moving material in and out of the storage area safely.
Shelving should be made of sturdy plastic or reinforced metal.
Metal shelving should be kept painted to avoid corrosion. Wood shelving should never be used, because it may absorb spilled pesticides.
Automatic exhaust fans and an emergency wash area should be provided. Explosion-proof lighting may be required. Light and fan switches should be located outside the building, so that both can be turned on before staff enter the building and turned off after they leave the building.
Avoid temperature extremes inside the pesticide storage facility.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be easily accessible and stored immediately outside the pesticide storage area.
Do not transport pesticides in the passenger section of a vehicle.
Never leave pesticides unattended during transport.
Place a spill containment kit in the storage area, in the mix/load area, and on the spray rig.

Emergency Preparedness and Spill Response

Principle

Accidents happen. Advance preparation on what to do when an accident occurs is essential to mitigate the human health effects and the impact on the environment.

Best Management Practices

Develop a golf course facility emergency response plan which includes procedures to control, contain, collect, and store spilled materials.
Prominently post “Important Telephone Numbers” including CHEMTREC, for emergency information on hazards or actions to take in the event of a spill.
Ensure an adequately sized spill containment kit is readily available.
Designate a spokesperson who will speak on behalf of the facility should an emergency occur.
Host a tour for local emergency response teams (for example, fire fighters, etc.) to show them the facilities and to discuss the emergency response plan. Seek advice on ways to improve the plan.

Pesticide Record Keeping

Principle

Maintaining accurate records of pesticide-related activities (for example, purchasing, storage, inventory, applications, etc.) is essential.

Best Management Practices

Keep and maintain records of all pesticides used to meet legal (federal, state, and local) reporting requirements.
Use records to monitor pest control efforts and to plan future management actions.
Use electronic or hard-copy forms and software tools to properly track pesticide inventory and use.
Develop and implement a pesticide drift management plan.
Keep a backup set of records in a safe, but separate storage area.

Sprayer Calibration

Principle

Properly calibrated application equipment is paramount to mitigating environmental and human health concerns.

Best Management Practices

Personally ensure spray technician is experienced, licensed, and properly trained.
Minimize off-target movement by using properly configured application equipment.
Properly calibrate all application equipment at the beginning of each season (at a minimum) or after equipment modifications.
Check equipment daily when in use.
Use recommended spray volumes for the targeted pest to maximize efficacy.
Calibration of walk-behind applicators should be conducted for each person making the application to take into consideration their walking speed, etc.

Types of Sprayers

Principle

Various types and sizes of application equipment are readily available. The size of the equipment (tank size, boom width, etc.) should be matched to the scale of the facility.

Best Management Practices

Use an appropriately sized applicator for the size of area being treated.
Equipment too large in size requires greater volumes to prime the system. This can result in significant waste that must be properly handled.

Inventory

Principle

Do not store large quantities of pesticides for long periods. Adopt the “first in–first out” principle, using the oldest products first to ensure that the product shelf life does not expire.

Best Management Practices

An inventory of the pesticides kept in the storage building and the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for the chemicals used in the operation should be accessible on the premises, but not kept in the pesticide storage room itself.

Shelf Life

Principle

Pesticides degrade over time. Do not store large quantities of pesticides for long periods.
Utilize computer software systems to record inventory and use.

Best Management Practices

Avoid purchasing large quantities of pesticides that require storage for greater than six months.
Adopt the “first in–first out” principle, using the oldest products first to ensure that the product shelf life does not expire.
Many states offer “amnesty” days in order to eliminate potential public health and environmental hazards from cancelled, suspended, and unusable pesticides that are being stored.
Ensure labels are on every package and container.
Consult inventory when planning and before making purchases.
Ensure that labels remain properly affixed to their containers.

Leaching Potentials

Principle

Weakly sorbed pesticides (compounds with small Koc values) are more likely to leach through the soil and reach groundwater. Conversely, strongly sorbed pesticides (compounds with large Koc values) are likely to remain near the soil surface, reducing the likelihood of leaching, but increasing the chances of being carried to surface water via runoff or soil erosion.

Best Management Practices

Understand pesticide sorption principles so that appropriate decisions can be made.
Understand site characteristics that are prone to leaching losses (for example, sand-based putting greens, coarse-textured soils, shallow water tables).
Identify label restrictions that may pertain to your facility.
Avoid using highly water-soluble pesticides.
Exercise caution when using spray adjuvants that may facilitate off-target movement.

Mixing/Washing Station

Principle

Pesticide leaks or spills, if contained, will not percolate down through the soil into groundwater or run off the surface to contaminate streams, ditches, ponds, and other waterbodies. One of the best containment methods is the use of a properly designed and constructed chemical mixing center (CMC).

Best Management Practices

Loading pesticides and mixing them with water or oil diluents should be done over an impermeable surface (such as lined or sealed concrete), so that spills can be collected and managed.
Mixing station surface should provide for easy cleaning and the recovery of spilled materials.
Pump the sump dry and clean it at the end of each day. Liquids and sediments should also be removed from the sump and the pad whenever pesticide materials are changed to an incompatible product (that is, one that cannot be legally applied to the same site).
Apply liquids and sediments as you would a pesticide, strictly following label instructions.
Absorbents such as cat litter or sand may be used to clean up small spills and then applied as a topdressing in accordance with the label rates, or disposed of as a waste.
Sweep up solid materials and use as intended.

Disposal

Principle

Wash water from pesticide application equipment must be managed properly, since it contains pesticide residues.

Best Management Practices

Collect wash water (from both inside and outside the application equipment) and use it as a pesticide in accordance with the label instructions.
The rinsate may be applied as a pesticide (preferred) or stored for use as makeup water for the next compatible application.

Personal Protective Equipment

Principle

Exposure to pesticides can be mitigated by practicing good work habits and adopting modern pesticide mix/load equipment (for example, closed-loading) that reduce potential exposure. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) statements on pesticide labels provide the applicator with important information on protecting himself/herself.

Best Management Practices

Provide adequate PPE for all employees who work with pesticides (including equipment technicians who service pesticide application equipment).
Ensure that PPE is sized appropriately for each person using it.
Make certain that PPE is appropriate for the chemicals used.
Ensure that PPE meets rigorous testing standards and is not just the least expensive.
Store PPE where it is easily accessible but not in the pesticide storage area.
Forbid employees who apply pesticides from wearing facility uniforms home where they may come into contact with children.
Provide laundering facilities or uniform service for employee uniforms.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to fit test workers who must wear tight-fitting respirators.
Meet requirements for OSHA 1910.134 Respiratory Protection Program.

Pesticide Container Management

Principle

The containers of some commonly used pesticides are classified as hazardous wastes if not properly rinsed, and as such, are subject to the many rules and regulations governing hazardous waste. The improper disposal of a hazardous waste can result in very high fines and/or criminal penalties. However, pesticide containers that have been properly rinsed can be handled and disposed of as nonhazardous solid waste. Federal law (FIFRA) and some state laws require pesticide applicators to rinse all empty pesticide containers before taking other container disposal steps. Under federal law (the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA), A PESTICIDE CONTAINER IS NOT EMPTY UNTIL IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY RINSED.

Best Management Practices

Rinse pesticide containers immediately in order to remove the most residue.
Rinse containers during the mixing and loading process and add rinsate water to the finished spray mix.
Rinse emptied pesticide containers by either triple rinsing or pressure rinsing.
Puncture empty and rinsed pesticide containers and dispose of according to the label.