Last week, Dr. Jim Fredericks, NPMA’s Vice President of Technical and Regulatory Affairs, was appointed to the U.S. EPA’s Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC).  The PPDC is a Federal Advisory Committee that meets with EPA on a regular basis to discuss pesticide regulatory, policy, and program implementation issues. Membership on the PPDC is a two-year commitment, during which NPMA will represent the structural pest control industry and its perspectives on the committee. 

More information about PPDC’s objectives and activities (from the US EPA PPDC Charter)

“EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is entrusted with the important responsibilities of ensuring that Americans are not exposed to unsafe levels of pesticides in food, protecting from unreasonable risk and educating those who apply or are exposed to pesticides occupationally or through use of products, and protecting the environment and special ecosystems from potential risks posed by pesticides. PPDC is a policy-oriented committee that will provide policy advice, information and recommendations to EPA. PPDC will provide a public forum to discuss a wide variety of pesticide regulatory development and reform initiatives, evolving public policy and program implementation issues, and policy issues associated with evaluating and reducing risks from use of pesticides.

The major objectives [of the PPDC] are to provide policy advice, information and recommendations on:

1. Developing practical, protective approaches for addressing pesticide regulatory policy, program implementation, environmental, technical, economic; and other policy issues; and
2. Reviewing proposed modifications to OPP’s current policies and procedures, including the technical and economic feasibility of any proposed regulatory changes to the current process of registering and reregistering pesticides”

Please find a complete list of PPDC members here.

Learn more about the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee.