Pesticide Safety Education Newsletter

for Hawaii's Pesticide Applicators

JUNE 2018

Contents

Regulatory Updates

Recertification credits may be earned by certified applicators

Recertification Articles:

  1. Link to “Pollinators in Hawaii” (recertification article)
  2. Link to “The Importance of Honeybee Pollination” (recertification article)
  3. Link to “Managing Pesticides to Protect Bees” (recertification article)
  4. Link to “Pollinator Protection and Responsible Use of Treated Seed - Best Management Practices” (recertification article)
  5. Link to “Respiratory Protection for Occupational Users of Pesticides: (recertification article)

Regulatory Updates

State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture Staffing Update
By Greg Takeshima, Pesticides Branch, State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture

The Education Section is one of four sections of the State of Hawai’i’s Department of Agriculture, Pesticides Branch. The Education section’s main duties include conducting examinations to certify users of State Restricted Use Pesticides, educating users about the rules and regulations related to pesticide use, and assist the agricultural and pest control industries with training opportunities via continuing education units (CEUs).

As of March 2018, the Education Section is fully staffed with 6 employees:

  • Cal Westergard located in Hilo, Hawai’i,
  • Emilee Wedekind-Balualua in Lihue, Kaua’i,
  • Mitchell MacCluer in Kahului, Maui,
  • Adam Yamamoto, Esther Medrano, and Greg Takeshima in Honolulu, Oahu.

The Education Section is required by Hawaii state law to ensure confidentiality and is here to assist anyone who has pesticide related questions. The Education section is available for consultative visits to farms and other pesticide storage establishments to ensure proper storage of pesticides. EPA approved Worker Protection Standards (WPS) training is also available for a fee ($25 travel if off site plus $5 per trainee). Please call the Education Section at the phone numbers provided below or email hoda.pested@hawaii.gov.

Hawai’i – 1-808-974-4143

Kaua’i – 1-808-241-7140

Maui – 1-808-873-3078

Oahu – 1-808-973-9401

Recertification credits may be earned by certified applicators...

... who score at least 70% on the open-book quiz about the recertification articles in this newsletter. These articles have a title followed by “(recertification article).” However, credits may not necessarily apply to the following categories: Private 2, Private 3, Commercial 7f, and Commercial 11. (The credits are also known as continuing education units or CEU credits.) The quizzes are administered by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s staff. See the full explanation and a link to the “List of Available Quizzes” at the bottom of the Department’s webpage

http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/pest/pesticide-applicator-certificationrecertification-2/

under the subtitle “QUIZ SESSIONS.”

Links to the recertification articles are on the next page of this newsletter.

To ask about earning recertification credits, call one of the Department’s phone numbers:

Kaua’i – 1-808-241-7140 (Lihue)

Oahu – 1-808-973-9401 (Honolulu)

Maui, Molokai or Lanai – 1-808-873-3078 (Kahului)

Hawai’i – 1-808-974-4143 (Hilo)

Links to recertification articles

1. Pollinators in Hawaii (recertification article)

Download this 4-page handout from either:

http://kohalacenter.org/docs/resources/hpsi/PollinatorsInHawaii.pdf OR http://hawaiipollinator.com/pdf/pollinators/pollinators_in_hawaii_handout-online.pdf

Read all four pages of the handout. It was developed by the UH Honeybee Project.

2. The Importance of Honeybee Pollination (recertification article)

Check here to get the two-page handout or to read the text.

Read pages both pages.

3. Managing Pesticides to Protect Bees (recertification article)

View and read the webpage at:

https://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/agriculture/managing-pesticides-to-protect-bees/

But no need to read the lower half which starts with the subtitle “Resources.”

4. Pollinator Protection and Responsible Use of Treated Seed - Best Management Practices (recertification article)

View and read the webpage at:

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/reports-publications/pesticides-pest-management/fact-sheets-other-resources/pollinator-treated-seed/best-management-practices.html

CAUTION: Because that webpage is for Canada, the notice "! Requirement" (in the shaded box directly below the date "March 9, 2015") may or may not apply in the U.S.

5. Respiratory Protection for Occupational Users of Pesticides (recertification article)

Download this booklet by clicking on the button for “Download PDF”. It's located below the box on this webpage:

https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/publication.php?pid=E358

Read pages 1–17, which starts after the Table of Contents.