We're pleased to be joined this morning by several guest speakers. Our first guest speaker is going to be misleads a fleece, and troughs. Bach from Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of pesticides services. She is the program manager there and she's going to give us some updates from the data side of things. And then we're also going to be joined by Mr. Daniel Frank, who is our Virginia Tech pesticide programs director, as well as Miss Rachel Carson, who also works for Virginia Tech pesticide programs as an extension associate. And they're going to be share some comments from the Virginia Tech side of things as far as pesticide applicator re certification and maybe what that may look like the midst of the COBIT 19 situation and what that may mean for applicator moving forward as far as certification as and research of vacation. So we're pleased to be joined by these folks this morning. I think we will have a great presentation and hopefully facilitate some great discussion and get questions answered without further ado. I guess we'll go ahead and get started. So Liza, we appreciate you joining us this morning then. The floor is yours. Good morning, everybody. And I appreciate the opportunity to be with you today and to provide a pesticide update on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office. A pesticide services. As Robbie said, I'm wiser fleece and crosswalks and I am the program manager and I've been with the department about 20 years. Today. I'm going to provide a brief pesticide update just on a number of hot topics. And then is Robbie it indicated at the end of the presentation, I'll be happy to address any other questions or comments that you had. And if I don't know the answer, I'm certainly follow up with the group. So for today I'm going to cover a couple topics. One, the first one related to pesticide applicator. I'd like to cover both research suffocation and renewal processes. And since I know that we may have both private applicator and commercial applicator daunted. I'll differentiate between the two where it's appropriate. I'm also going to provide an update, update on the use of dye Canva and the 2020 you season. And also about the use of pair quiet in the training requirements that are now in place for the use of that restricted use pesticide. I'll provide a brief update about her pesticide collection or disposal program and also our plastic container recycling program. And then as was mentioned earlier, it'll be your turn, but that'll be after my presentation and the presentation by Daniel and Rachel. So as a reminder, for certified pesticide applicator is first of all, there to maintain your certification is a two step process. The first process is the resorted vacation portion. And this is for whether you're a private applicator or a commercial applicator, you're required to complete one raised certification course every two years before your certificate expires for each category you hold. So for example, if you are certified, let's say in categories 11 c, as a commercial applicator, you'd have to take one research vacation course for each of those categories. They may be within the same course, but you have to have that research vacation credit for both categories. Courses are approved for a specific category and we do male status reports to all applique haters in the fall of the year prior to when your certification expires. As you know, all certifications expire on in on June 30th. If you are a commercial applicator, it may be an odd or even year. And if you're a private applicator will be every two years on December 31st. Again, you maybe even a year or an odd year. I'm individuals have to attend the entire course to research, to receive reserve vacation credit. And of course, there are a number of forms that you have to complete. And if you are a core sponsor or speaker seeking certification credit, you also have to attend the full course and complete all the required forms. Now there are options to recertified without taking or we certification course, and this is referred to as testing in lieu of attending a research vacation course, if you are a commercial applicator and you would like to test to recertified. Instead of participating in a re certification course, you can submit your renewal application and the appropriate fee. And you also have to submit a testing application and an appropriate fee. So it's two separate applications and to separate fees if you are going to test in lieu of attending a reciprocation. Of course, if you're a commercial applicator, you're a private applicator. You can also recertified by testing. However, for private applicator, as you know, there are no fees required. So you only need to take the private applicator exam. You can either test with virginia cooperative extension agent or you can submit an application to our office if you would prefer to test at the Department of Motor Vehicles. I believe everyone knows that the Department of Motor Vehicles offers pesticide applicator testing. Now, all appointment you'd have everything at DMV is by appointment only. So if you do want to test a DMV, you do need to make an appointment that both commercial and private applicator contest at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Now, I mentioned again that to maintain your certification is a two-step process. So the first processes, the reserve vacation and then the second step, and that is the actual renewal. So for commercial applicator and register technicians, we send renewal applications in April of every year and the fee is due back to the onto our office by June 30th. Now, I put those Asterix there because given Coburn 19, there are some implications for the pesticide renewal process and I'll talk about those in just a minute. In general, if you don't renew by June 30th course, you're not allowed to apply pesticides after August 29th. The only way to renew your certificate is by examination. And this is if you're a commercial applicator or register technician for private APA caters because there's no fee involved with your renewal. You don't receive a renewal application. Your certificate will renew automatically if you have sufficient research vacation credit, at least one of the categories, 90 or 91. If research for creations are not earned by the expiration date, you have 60 days beyond December 31st to obtain re certification credit. If you don't obtain that reciprocation credit, you have to retest to read in state your certificate. Just like with commercial applicator and register technicians, If you do not earn sufficient re certification credits and you your applicator certificate is not renewed. You're not allowed to apply pesticides by law until such time as it's renewed. So there's renewal dates are very important. Now with Kobe 19, there had been implications for certification. And here I'm going to focus on commercial pesticide applicator and register technicians because we are currently in the midst of their renewable season. So as you know, commercial APA cares are required to renew their certificates by June 30th because of covert 19 and specifically the implications for the availability of research vacation courses. That date has been extended. So pesticide applicator is do not have to renew their certificates until August 29th. Now, you've applicator is do not renew by August 29th. They will be required to renew by testing for authorization letters for those commercial applicator is unrealistic technicians. And for those private applicator that go back to test at the Department of Motor Vehicles. You get an authorization letter from our office to take the exam because of Coburn 19 and the implications to the testing opportunities. Specifically, DMV was closed for a number of months. And many of you may know that while their reopening, they have staggered openings. And again, all of their services or by appointment has reduced the capacity or the availability of testing. Because of that, the administration has extended the expiration dates of all notices of authorization to test issued on or after December 20th through October 31st. So any applicator who has an authorization letter to test issued on or after December 20th regardless of the expiration date extended to October 31st of 2020 or the current data, the exploration, whichever is greater. If a prospective applicator does not take an exam by October 31st, 2020 or the current date on their exploration, whichever is greater, they will be required to submit a new application with the appropriate fees to take the exam. One other item that was put in place to assist pesticide applicator and businesses are licensed. Businesses can allow their employees to apply pesticides without obtaining a registered technician certification for the duration of the state of emergency, businesses are required to train their register technicians and providing in-house test for them. And to make type, we can maintain documentation of their trading attesting. However, there is a temporary requirement that register technicians not be state certified to apply pesticides. Again, this is only during the State of Emergency. Additional information is available on our website at the at the link provided in this slide. We encourage all commercial applicator is register technicians and private applicator to visit this site on a regular basis, as this is where the most current and up-to-date information regarding certification can be found. Now, to move on to die camera use in Virginia. I am sure many of you are aware that the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA, issued a cancellation order for the federal registration of three by camera products that are used for the over-the-top application to both soybeans and cotton. And these include extended max with vapor grip affects a pan and engineered the cancellation order was the direct result of the Ninth Circuit Court of us appeals decision on June third to vacate the federal registration of these eye camera products. That vacation in essence means that these products are not registered and cannot be used. Eps cancellation or addresses all uses of these products and includes requirements for the sale, the distribution, and the use of existing stocks. Of the three products that I previously mentioned. The use of dike handbook for the over-the-top applications to genetically modified soybeans and cotton for 2021 or next year's growing season and beyond. That is unknown at this time. But as of right now, effective as of June 30th or 20-20, both growers and producers and commercial app or caters can use the existing stocks that were in your possession on June 30th. But all of the uses, of course, must be consistent with the products label and may not continue after July 31st, 20-20. And other words, July 31st, 2020 is the last date that any applications of extended max bets, a pan or a gene, it can be made and this would be for any use that's listed on the label. These products, in addition to having instructions for over the top applications, also have other uses. This cancellation involves all uses on that particular camp, a product label. The distribution and sale of these products by the registrar is prohibited effective on June 30th. The only exception is that the distribution for the purposes of proper disposal. So when British on of course, can dispose of their product and again, the distribution herself, existing stocks of the products listed previously. His only permitted for, again, proper disposal or to facilitate the return of the product to the registrar or registered establishment under contract with the registrant. So in essence, it cannot be bought or sold, but it can be used by growers and commercial applications. Another pesticide that has been a particular interest as pair clot. And the training requirement that has been put into place recently since 2 thousand there have been 17 deaths and three of those involving children caused by the accidental ingestion of pair plot. In these cases, the deaths were caused or were the result of the pesticide being illegally transferred to a beverage container that was later mistaken for a drink and consumed. And there were also other deaths and severe injuries caused by this pesticide on the skin or in the eyes of those working with our purpose Because of these particular incidences, in addition to other information that was received by EPA and EPA put into place a special training requirement, requirement for certified applicator to use pair plot. Of course, pair quad is a restricted use pesticide to any sort of white applicator who uses Parik. What now has to meet these new requirements. And just to be clear, use involves all the activities related to that particular product to be mixing, loading, applying, any type of cleanup, disposal. All those are considered news to any person who intends to use pair plot must be a certified applicator required to take this special training. This means that pair quack can no longer be handled by the workers that are working under the supervision of a certified applicator. For example, under the worker protection standard, pesticide handlers who were trained can work under a private served by private applicator. Those applicator are not permitted to use pair plot. In addition, in Virginia, we have what are called register technicians. And while we consider those individual certified, they do not meet the federal definition of a certified applicator. Therefore, they are not allowed to use the product either. Only individuals who are a certify commercial applicator, certify private applicator. Here. Virginia can use the product. And for those applique caters, training is required prior to use and it must be retaken every three years. And the two important pieces of this training are, one, there's an emphasis emphasis on the importance of handling Claire quite simply because of the extreme toxicity of the product. And another thing that's highlighted in this particular training is that again, that use only by certified applicator. And finally, I'm going to talk briefly about our two pesticide related programs that we offer free of charge to all locators in Virginia. The first is our pesticide collection and disposal program. And this is a program that we work closely with virginia cooperative extension to host. And this allows the disposal of cancelled or banned or unwanted pesticides by agriculture producers and other pesticide users. In this program, we divide the state into five regions and every year of pests like collection program is conducted in a different region. Once all the regions or serve, the cycle begins again. The map on the right side of the screen shows a user participation for 2020 through 2024. And I will be providing the places and dates of this year's program on the next slide. Since this program started in 1997. And this program has collected and destroyed more than a million and a half pounds of pesticides. This is kept them out of the landfills or other inappropriate pesticide disposal options. One of the great things about this program is it's free. It's free to the users if anyone ever has taken it upon themselves to try to get rid of pesticides, which of course are considered hazardous waste, it can be a significant challenge. And so this is a great way for these pesticides too. Out of those our buildings and and add the inventory that's no longer used. We'd have additional information available on our website, and I certainly encourage you to visit that site for the 2020 year. Here's a list of the collection dates and sites. We have eight collection events planned. In this particular case, the applicator brings the the pesticides you be disposed up to one of these particular sites. It's unloaded by the contractor and is ultimately ship to EPA approved sites for disposal. There is a a request for registration by users prior to the program, just so the coordinators can get an idea of how much product to be o, or excuse me, to expect. Any product can be broad. This is an amnesty program regardless of what the product is, how old it is, what the condition is in, as long as it's not leaking, be transported safely, products can be brought on. One thing that's really important is that only pesticides are collected. There are no other products, fertilizers, any type adjuvant, any of those things are not, are not part of this program. It will be for pesticides. On our second program is the plastic pesticide container recycling program. This is also a free service that we offer in cooperation with Virginia proper extension and local government. And this provides locations where parasite APA caters can bring. They are properly wrench plastic pesticide containers. Containers are accepted up to 55 gallons. And these these containers are ultimate, we granulate it and are made into other products for use. This is again a free program. Recycling sites can be located in a variety of places. There are variety of storage options and we actually provide grant dollars to Virginia necrotic session and the local government to help assist with these programs. Since we've had this program, more than 2 million pounds of plastic having kept out of landfills and had been used for other purposes. So I encourage you to both check our website to see where those locations are and also work with your local county extension agent and local government if you're interested in having a program and you're not going to bother. Then finally, I would just request if you don't know the answer to some pesticide related question, I really encourage you to call and ask us. I provided contact information for our major programs and we're always happy to help you. We I've also put are linked to our website, which provides additional information about those items that I've talked about today, as well as a variety of other brands. So we will wait till after the next presentation for questions. But thank you again for the opportunity to participate. Alright. Thank you, Lisa. We appreciate you joining us as more niche and those updates now will move forward. And as Lisa said at the end, we'll take questions and comments for all of our presenters. But next we'll have Mr. Daniel Frank, Virginia Tech pesticide program director, as well as Miss Rachel Carson, who is the extension associated within the Virginia Tech pesticide program department. So with that being said, Daniel Rachel de fluids you with? Good morning. I'm going to let Danielle speak first about our website. I just wanted to start off by showing our website. We recently redesigned our website in an effort to hopefully make information a little bit easier to find. One question that we get quite a bit is about training manuals and online courses. So we have manuals or we develop manuals here in Virginia Tech. Pesticide programs to that are specifically designed to prepare applicator to pass the certification exam. So right here on the front page, if you click this this tab, training manuals and online courses, you will be directed right here to where you can easily find that information. So to order manuals, you may get a screen like this. So right now, virginia cooperative extension requires Adobe Flash Player to to download in order the manuals, or excuse me, to order the manuals online and just want to make sure that that Flash is installed on your computer before you can do that. Otherwise, you'll get this kind of error message here if we go to online training courses. So these are online certification preparation courses, and they're available to supplement learning as you read the manuals. And we do have these courses available right now. They're in various stages of completion. We're working on making these a little bit more robust and better for applique haters. Right now we're working on the Virginia core manual. We're hoping to have that completed within the next month or two. And that will be posted on the VC website where the manuals will be at and you'll be able to sign up for those right now. If you want to take one of these, these courses, you'd contact Rachel Carson and she would sign you up or help to get you signed up to take what we currently have right now, which basically consists of for most of the classes quiz basically that, that goes over the different units of the manuals. So if we go back again to the home site, if you have any questions, go back that come up and you're not able to find them. Of course, we have a help email here and a phone number that you can contact us out. But I think we've we've tried to make all of your questions are put all the questions available for you on the website. For instance, if you're an applicator, private or commercial, you just hit the applicator tab here, you'll be directed to a wealth of information. A lot of this links too. The VDD acts Office of pesticide Services website as well. So if you need information about becoming a private applicator, information about commercial applicator register technicians, that information is here. If you need information about the various commercial applicator categories, we have that information here as well, as well as a little description of what that category entails. Training opportunities. If you're looking for research suffocation credit, again, that information is here. We have that for private applicator reserve a trace that excuse me, private applicator re certification trainings as well as commercial applicator c. You can go online, look at the calendar, see if there's anything available in your area. Information about various pesticide lot, laws and regulations, as well as forums. A lot of these forms, again, are linked to the edX website, so you'll find them there as well. But if you're looking for applications for to become certified, we have that their applications if you're interested in becoming a business, we have that there as well. Sample recordkeeping forms and then of course, frequently asked questions. So we have a number of questions that come up throughout the year and we've tried to make most of those available on our site. So in addition to this information, another kind of helpful site or growers in Virginia would be our resources and publications. Here we linked to a lot of the content from virginia cooperative extension. For instance, the pest management guides. If you're a commercial applicator, commercial grower. We also have the home grounds and animals for general public as well. Our pesticide safety education publications, a number of publications there. If you need back sheets, virginia cooperative extension back sheets on insects, diseases, weeds. Again, we kind of try to make this website a one-stop shop where you can easily find all of this information. And so I just if you have any questions again, feel free to contact us again. Are our information is right here on the on the homepage. And again, the website is V TPP.org or it's at that will redirect you to VD TPP dot N2 dot V T.edu. That's the new web address. But our old web address, which was v TPP.org will redirect you to that so you don't have to memorize a new you email address. So with that, I'll turn it over to Rachel. Thanks, Daniel. I'm the one who is basically handles the private applicator re certification courses in the state. And so as agents prepare their courses, they send them to me to be To be approved by me. And then we see if I can pull my screen up. So I'm trying to pull my screen up at the same time I'm talking, but so when I approve them, I put them on a public calendar that's available for for anybody to see. And then and then there's a time where we are we are very busy doing that, approving classes and everything. And then once the class is start, the agent send the paperwork that growers fill out, all the attendees fill out. They send that back to us and we process that paperwork, put it into the database, and that's how you get your research suffocation credits. That paperwork is then kept for several years so that we have records. And so this brings up the problem of most of our private applicator classes are held in person and because of covet and the things that are going on, It's put a, it's, it's really throw a wrench into the to the plan. So, so will be having to deal with with trying to come up with new ways to get private applicator certified this this fall and winter. And I believe that, you know, that eight, we're going to come up with some good alternatives for it. For those who can't meet in person. We are hoping that most you know, we'll keep going in a good direction and that people will be able to meet in person with using masks and social distancing things. And but we're also, we, we do have other plans in place that we'll be able to offer online courses. And those who can attend online courses will habit a bit of a different procedure that they'll have to go through well, and the agents are working hard on coming up with those procedures where we're working together to get those those ready. But we hope we we generally recertified over 2 thousand folks every every year and we plan on doing that this year. And as Lisa said, we we hold our season runs basically from about October. November is the beginning, and then we run all the way through February. So we really hope that things work out to where, you know, we can we can hold those in person classes, but we are getting ready to do that in other ways. So if you're, if you're if you're looking for something for your area, we have the calendars divided up into regions. I just pulled up the south The southwest region that shows the January calendar this past year when you were doing when we were holding researchs. So, but so contacting your agent content, looking on this calendar is really the best way to see how you know what your, what your area research classes are. And we'll make sure to distinguish between those that are in person and those that are online. So we have we have a few out online right now. Those are really not set up for full re certification credit. So they they were an option that we were using when we only have one or two people with, without possibly hundreds of people doing this, we, we, we're going to have to rethink those those options. So alright, thanks, rachel. We appreciate you then Dan, join us this morning and shadows those comments. So I guess at this point we'll go ahead and NFC. We've got a couple of questions in the chat box and one of those had been addressed. So I'll just read some of that for folks who maybe can't see it in the chat box. One of the question was like, Lisa, you mentioned that commercial applicator license or require prepare quad application, but it's specific pair quiet training and certification still required. And the response to that was yes, all applicator must be certified and all applicator must take the pair qua training. So for those of you that may have also had that question, that tests of response on that. And then we've got another question here. It says, what is the process of getting our alternative procedures approved for private applicator research trainings approved? Do we just submit to Rachel and work it out? Rachel, could you address that question? Yes. I think we're we're going to be holding a workshop and in late August. And by that we'll have a lot of these procedures kind of worked out and I will make a presentation about that. But in the meantime, I know that there's some agents who are trying to get started and and already and and so I've been working with them individually. So please any of the agents out there yeah. Contact me and we will help you get started. But really had we we haven't gotten all the kinks worked out just yet. And I'll also add Rachel for, for the agents on the line with us this morning. We are going to be having a second portion to this kind of an in-service training for internal agents within virginia cooperative extension at the conclusion of the public meeting, Des Moines. And so for those of you that are interested, I see we've got a question here for what lies a pesticide collection program is available for homeowners to it is a correct. Lazo. Thank you. Yes. Homeowners can participate in the pesticide collection program? Absolutely. We will take it from, you know, anybody who shows up oftentime homeowners have access to a clean sweep program or a household hazardous waste program, where they can also take their pesticides. But yes, we will accept pesticides from learners. I see one more comment there from Rachel that this is probably more for you and Dan. It asks Can the website that has a pesticide mangoes had the publication date listed, so it is easy for people to see if they have the most current edition. So that publication date is available if you go to if you'd go to order the training. May well, once again, we really appreciate our guest speakers as moral laws, Daniel and Rachel. We really thank you for joining us. Thank you for your time and the great resources and information you've shared with us this morning. If you are joining us this morning, if you could please take just a few moments to fill out our brief evaluation. Stephanie has been generous and posted that in the chat box. So if you could please fill that evaluation out, it should just take a minute or two of your time to let us know how we can improve our programs or answer future questions or topics that you may have. We're likely we will be having our next VCA today, next week, Thursday at 90. And you see it there at the link as as well as the dial and telephone number. I would just like to take a few moments and thank the production team for BCA today wouldn't be possible without both the generosity of our guest speakers today, as well as a team of agents and summer interns said, we've got help him with this. Stephanie Rommel check Laura maxi nay, her summer intern, Shelly Underwood, Trent Jones and might brought us in. And also scholars Swan, who is somewhere in turn for Stephanie over and Westmoreland County. So just thank you to you all for your help in putting these efforts together and making this possible. Appreciate everyone joining us as more. And thank you again to the guest speakers. We really appreciate you joining us and if you have questions, please please feel free to reach out to any of the agents this morning or the guest speakers will be glad to assist you. So thanks again and hope everyone has a great rest of the day. And and very aggressively, we thank you so much.