EPA Launches a Voluntary Star-Rating Program to Reduce Pesticide
Drift and Protect People,
Wildlife and the Environment
More stars equals greater potential for reducing spray
drift
-The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
announcing a new voluntary Drift Reduction Technology (DRT) program to encourage
the use of verified, safer pesticide spray products to reduce exposure and
pesticide movement while saving farmers money in pesticide loss.
“Every year state and local agencies receive thousands of complaints about
the impacts of pesticide drift on people, wildlife and plants,” said Jim Jones,
Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention. “Our new star-rating system of products and technologies will help
farmers reduce drift, protect neighbors and reduce costs by keeping more of the
pesticide on the crop. We hope the new voluntary DRT will encourage the
manufacture, marketing and use of safer spray technology and equipment
scientifically proven to reduce pesticide drift.”
One to ten percent of agricultural pesticide sprays drift or move from the
intended target crop. Every year about 70 million pounds of pesticides valued up
to $640 million are lost to pesticide drift. And, state agencies use
substantial resources each year investigating drift complaints. Farmers have
long been concerned about reducing pesticide product loss during and after
application to crops and minimizing drift to neighbors.
DRT is a voluntary program that encourages manufacturers to test their
technologies (such as nozzles, spray shields and drift reduction chemicals) for
drift reduction potential. EPA encourages pesticide manufacturers to label
their products for use with DRT technologies. The four DRT ratings represented
by one, two, three or four stars are awarded for technologies that demonstrate
at least 25 percent reduction in potential spray drift compared to the
standard.
Spray technology manufacturers interested in participating in EPA’s DRT
program may now submit data verifying their technology reduces pesticide
movement. EPA will evaluate each data submission and, if appropriate, assign a
drift-reduction star rating to the product based on its ability to reduce spray
drift. EPA will post these ratings at: http://www2.epa.gov/reducing-pesticide-drift
A pesticide manufacturer can choose to label a product for use with a DRT of
a particular rating after receiving approval from EPA.
Over time, the program will move the agricultural sector toward the
widespread use of low-drift technologies. Drift-reduction ratings could appear
on pesticide labels as early as fall 2015.
Additional information on EPA’s DRT Program, including how to test
technologies, is available at: http://www2.epa.gov/reducing-pesticide-drift
.
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