Minimum-Age Requirements for Certification to Use RUPs

Title: Minimum-Age Requirements for Certification to Use RUPs
Category: Certification
Resources: Paper
Date: 2004
Addressed By Revised 40 CFR Party 171: Yes

Excerpt: Currently, 76% of the states have no age minimums for issuing private applicator certifications and 39% of the states have no age minimums for commercial applicator certifications. CTAG believes that a minimum-age should be established for obtaining certificates to purchase, apply or supervise the use of RUPs. Adopting this proposal will: reduce the risk to youth from occupational acute pesticide exposure, improve regulatory enforcement involving minors, help to avoid liability from conflicts with federal and state child labor laws, and it will reduce public criticism of the program should a high profile incident occur. Establishing a minimum age requirement would not drastically reduce the youth labor pool in either agriculture or other major pesticide use industries and it does not preclude youth from participating in pesticide education programs. Therefore, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with state lead agencies (SLA), should implement a minimum-age restriction of 18 years for commercial applicators and a minimum-age of 16 years for private applicators, with the ability to address hardship situations…