Board of Pesticides Control Update
Stay up to date with the latest from the Board of Pesticides Control. This update covers everything you need to know about upcoming meetings, new rules, and important reminders to keep you and your community safe. We’re here to keep you informed, and we’d like to hear your thoughts—drop us an email anytime at pesticides@maine.gov.
The next Board Meeting is April 25, 2025 it will be hybrid at the Deering Building in Rm 101 in Augusta, ME 04330, and on Microsoft Teams. The meeting starts at 9:00 AM. For more information, visit the Board Meetings Page.
The following program has been approved for pesticide recertification credits. More recertification opportunities may be found on the BPC Credit Calendar.
March 25, 2025 – Maine Vegetables & Fruit School
- Location: University of Southern Maine, Lewiston Campus, 51 Westminster St, Lewiston, ME, 9AM - 3:30 PM, Fee of $45
- Approved for 4 pesticide credits
- For more information and registration
April 4, 2025 – Maine Invasive Species Forum for Decision Makers
April 10, 2025 – Core Pesticide Applicator Training
- Cooperative Extension Conference Room, 57 Houlton Road, Presque Isle, ME, 8AM to 12 PM
- Approved for 3 pesticide credits
- For more information and registration contact 207 551-3687
The BPC maintains a list of registered products on the front page of its website. For a list of the current Maine registrations.
The Maine Board of Pesticides Control approved the renewal of Section 24(c) ME-190001 on March 14, 2025, to extend the SLN registration for Express Herbicide with Total Sol (EPA Registration # 279-9594) for five years. This extended registration is now set to expire on December 31, 2030. A list of all Board-approved Special Local Need (SLN) labels is available on the Board’s website.
The SLN allows a fall application for bunchberry control, a spring application in the non-crop year, and spot applications to control alders, bracken fern, wild rose, and yellow loosestrife during the summer and early fall. Application within 365 days of harvest is not permitted.
Commercial Core Training and Exam: April 15, 2025- Pre-registration is open
Join us for a Commercial Core Training session, followed by the Commercial Core exam. The Board of Pesticides Control is offering the Commercial Core Training and Exam on April 15, 2025 from 8:30 AM-1:30 PM in Room 101 of the Deering Building, located at 90 Blossom Lane in Augusta.
Pre-registration is required. Space is limited to 50 people. After completing the registration form, click 'submit' and an automated message will display on the screen stating that you are registered for the training and exam. Submit only one response per person. If BPC staff have any follow-up questions, you will be contacted. REGISTER HERE!
Please read the following information carefully for important details. There is a $10 exam fee, and examinees must display a government issued photo identification to take the exam.
Purchase and study the Core Pesticide Education Manual from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Purchase digital or hard copies here. Bring the completed exam application form and a cash or check for the exam fee to the event. BPC staff are unable to accept credit/debit cards. Make checks payable to "Treasurer, State of Maine".
If you have any questions please contact BPC staff at pesticides@maine.gov or 207-287-2731.
As we head into another outdoor pesticide application season, it is essential to remember the importance of identifying sensitive areas before making outdoor pesticide applications. This will allow you, as the applicator, to provide adequate buffers and prevent off-target deposition of pesticides into these areas.
As a refresher, please see the definition of sensitive areas below:
"Sensitive area" means any of the following, except where the area involved is the intended target of the pesticide application:
- Apiaries, the location of which is registered with the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry pursuant to 7 M.R.S.A.§2701;
- Critical areas designated by the Board pursuant to 22 M.R.S.A. §1471‑M(2);
- Public wells, drinking water springs used by the public, and public water supply intake points, provided the location of the same is known or should reasonably be known to the pesticide applicator;
- Private sources of drinking water, where the owner or legal user thereof has given prior notice of the location of such source to the landowner or lessee of the area which will be subject to a pesticide application;
- Water bodies, including streams, brooks, rivers, ponds, lakes, estuaries and marine waters, provided that any such water body contains water at the time of the pesticide application and is known to the spray applicator or is reasonably detectable from visual observation, reasonably available maps or reasonable inquiry. This term shall not include: (a) in the case of forest aerial spray programs, streams and brooks that are neither shown on reasonably available maps nor visible from an aircraft operating at 1000 feet in elevation above ground level; and (b) waters that are confined and retained completely upon the property of the person conducting or contracting for spray services, and that do not drain into or connect with any other water body;
- “Wetlands of Special Significance” means all coastal wetlands and great ponds. In addition, certain freshwater wetlands are considered wetlands of special significance if they have one or more of the following characteristics.
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Critically imperiled or imperiled community. The freshwater wetland contains a natural community that is critically imperiled (S1) or imperiled (S2) as defined by the Natural Areas Program.
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Significant wildlife habitat. The freshwater wetland contains significant wildlife habitat as defined by 38 M.R.S.A. §480-B(10).
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Location near coastal wetland. The freshwater wetland area is located within 250 feet of a coastal wetland.
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Location near GPA great pond. The freshwater wetland area is located within 250 feet of the normal high water line, and within the same watershed, of any lake or pond classified as GPA under 38 M.R.S.A. §465-A.
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Aquatic vegetation, emergent marsh vegetation or open water. The freshwater wetland contains under normal circumstances at least 20,000 square feet of aquatic vegetation, emergent marsh vegetation or open water, unless the 20,000 or more square foot area is the result of an artificial ponds or impoundment.
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Wetlands subject to flooding. The freshwater wetland area is inundated with floodwater during a 100-year flood event based on flood insurance maps produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or other site-specific information.
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Peatlands. The freshwater wetland is or contains peatlands, except that the Department of Environmental Protection may determine that a previously mined peatland, or portion thereof, is not a wetland of special significance.
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River, stream or brook. The freshwater wetland area is located within 25 feet of a river, stream or brook.
- Cleared areas where livestock are contained or pastured, cultivated land, cropland or gardens.
- A “Sensitive Area Likely to Be Occupied” is an area where humans are likely to be present including the following:
- Residential buildings, together with any associated maintained areas likely to be occupied by humans, such as lawns, gardens, recreational areas and livestock management and housing areas;
- School buildings, together with any associated maintained areas that are areas likely to be occupied by humans, such as playgrounds, athletic fields or courts;
- Commercial, institutional, or other structures likely to be occupied by humans, together with any associated maintained areas such as lawns, gardens, parking and recreational areas;
- Maintained recreational areas likely to be occupied by humans including campgrounds, picnic areas, marked roadside rest areas, marked hiking trails, park and recreation facilities, athletic fields, and other areas for organized sports or recreation. This definition does not include trails located on privately owned lands which are used by permission of the landowner.
Released on February 6, 2025
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the public comment period on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) draft biological opinion for the insecticide carbaryl, giving stakeholders more time to review and submit information.
EPA released the draft biological opinion in January 2025 with a comment period that was set to close Feb. 6, 2025. EPA is extending the comment period an additional 15 days. Comments can be submitted to docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0579 at www.regulations.gov until Feb. 21, 2025.
After the additional comment period, EPA will provide FWS with the comments before they finalize the biological opinion for carbaryl. Following the release of the final FWS biological opinion, EPA will work to implement the measures described in the FWS final biological opinion.
Read the Draft Biological Opinion for Carbaryl
Released on March 11, 2025
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered one technical and two end use plant growth regulator products containing the new active ingredient metamitron for use on apple and pear trees. Metamitron is a chemical thinning agent applied to apple and pear tree leaves shortly after the blooming stage to thin excess fruit. This allows the remaining fruit to grow larger and may contribute to higher quality fruit and plant health giving farmers an additional tool to help manage crops and grow more food for our country.
The metamitron registrations are supported by human health and ecological risk assessments as well as a biological evaluation for the pesticide under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). No human health risks of concern were identified when metamitron is used according to the label. EPA conducted an ecological risk assessment and biological evaluation under the ESA and completed an informal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). FWS concurred with EPA’s determination that the use of metamitron on apples and pears being registered is not likely to adversely affect endangered species or critical habitats.
In response to stakeholder feedback regarding a lack of clear and uniform format in labels, making it difficult to efficiently locate critical information and to use this information correctly, EPA worked with the registrant, ADAMA AGAN c/o Makhteshim Agan of North America, Inc. (ADAMA), and representatives from the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) to implement a new structured label for this product. On its own initiative, WSSA has been soliciting feedback from their membership and contacts about what would make pesticide labels easier to use and presented that information as a proposal to EPA. The two end use labels being registered at this time represent the first labels implementing the vision of this proposal. These labels are one step towards increasing the clarity of pesticide labels.
To read more about the registration of metamitron, see docket ID EPA-HQ-OPP-2022-0575 at www.regulations.gov. The new structured labels will soon be available in the docket.
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