Pesticide Advisory Committee Meeting Summary
Guyer Conference Room, MDA Laboratory, East Lansing
October 20, 2006

Members present:     Jim Johnson, Roger Wabeke, Mike Schiffer, Abby Schwartz, Bruce Walker, Carolyn Randall, Russell Ives, and William Weil

Guests present: Brian Rowe, Ken Rauscher, Larry Swain, and Togg Karwoski

Jim Johnson welcomed everyone to the meeting. 

PPPM Update – Ken informed the PAC that Pollyanne Kapala has taken the Region 6 pesticide specialist position.  Ken distributed and updated the committee about the Emerald Ash Borer project.  Ken discussed other invasive species that are currently in Michigan:  Downy Mildew, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, and plum pox.

Planned Use Investigations – Larry Swain distributed the final report on the incidental use investigations.  The department’s recommendation is to pull the exemptions because the firms are not following the requirement; then convene the subcommittee to review the requests, then bring the recommendation to the full PAC.  The subcommittee members are:  Brian Rowe, Russ Ives, Bob England, and Tim Doppel.  The committee will discuss the risk, how does their practice fit now, and certification/licensing issues.  Russ will send Brian a list of the original subcommittee members.

Pesticide Section Update – Brian Rowe distributed and discussed the FY’06 case file information.  Brian distributed the proposed changes to Regulation 637 that will be forwarded through the legislative process.  There have been Notices of Intent issued to restricted use pesticide dealers who have not submitted sales registers and to pesticide companies who have not registered their pesticides.

Michigan Pesticide Illness and Injury Surveillance Project – Abby Schwartz distributed the NIOSH report.  Comments from Russ Ives were distributed.  Suggestions were made to have a letter sent to the business such as “check it (equipment) before fill it”.  Carolyn Randall will check to see if she has information about preventative equipment maintenance and forward it to Abby.  It was suggested that articles could be sent to trade magazines and information could be sent out with pesticide business licenses.

MSUE Pesticide Education Update – Carolyn Randall distributed the fourth quarter Pesticide Safety Education Program report.

The meeting was adjourned.

The next PAC meeting is scheduled for January 19, 2007.