PULLMAN, Wash. — The 6th PNW Pesticide Issues Conference will be Feb. 26 at the Doubletree Hotel in Yakima.
Carol Ramsay, Washington State University pesticide education specialist, said the conference will focus on cholinesterase monitoring for exposure to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides; issues related to pesticide drift and agricultural exposures, and pesticide exposure that occurs after a pesticide application.
The first half-day will focus on monitoring for exposure to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides. Ramsay says the Washington State Supreme court ruled that the state labor and industries department must re-evaluate its position on cholinesterase monitoring. In response, labor and industries initiated rule-making on mandatory monitoring for agricultural employees.
The conference will take an in-depth look at cholinesterase monitoring policy, the science of monitoring and the potential impact to agriculture and affected employees.
Exposure to employees or people who live near areas of pesticide applications will be examined in sessions on pesticide drift and agricultural exposures. This includes a state agriculture department report on compliance. A University of Washington researcher will discuss recent findings and new application technology also will be discussed.
Ramsay said current data on illness related to post-application exposures and challenges for employee training will be presented. A panel will present information on post-application risk assessment from the perspective of both research and EPA’s regulatory policies. Both EPA and the state department of agriculture will discuss the status of the Worker Protection Standard.
The conference targets grower associations, growers, foresters, agrichemical dealers and industry, crop consultants, state and federal regulators, the medical community, university researchers and extension educators.
Ramsay said conference sponsors expect to meet the educational and informational needs of people involved in farming, forestry, greenhouse, and nursery health and safety, as well as the medical community, and to facilitate networking and information exchange among participants.
Conference sponsors are WSU and UW. Registration is $90 by Feb. 4 and $120 after that date.
More information is available by contacting the WSU Cooperative Extension Event and Program Support Office at (509) 335-2830.
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