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Notification Forms Now Available in Foreign Languages - September 2003
September 12, 2003
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - Now non-English speaking parents and guardians of school students can be made aware of upcoming pesticide applications in their schools and on school grounds. "Pesticide Notification Letter for Parents", new sample letters for schools to send home with students, explaining how parents can be placed on a pesticide notification list, are now available in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean languages on the Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management Program's (PA IPM) Web page at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/168.htm.
IPM relies heavily on prevention, sanitation, maintenance, and monitoring to reduce the reliance on pesticides. "Pesticides are used on an as-needed basis as determined by monitoring. When a pesticide is needed, it is applied as a bait or gel in an inaccessible area or on a spot treatment basis whenever possible and targeted to the specific pest," says Ed Rajotte, Penn State IPM Program Coordinator.
Legislation passed last year requires all public schools in Pennsylvania to adopt an IPM plan. Specifically, the Pesticide Notification Acts will reduce unnecessary pesticide use and prohibit pesticide applications when students are present in the school building or on school grounds for seven hours. It also requires schools to notify parents who request advance notification 72 hours before applying pesticides in the school or on its grounds.
The new request for notification letters can be downloaded as PDF files and be modified by schools at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/168.htm. "The request for notification letters will make it easier for schools to comply with the new law and to notify non-English speaking parents who want to be informed about pesticide applications," Rajotte explains.
For more information on School IPM, go to the PA IPM Program's Web site at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/. Under the "Schools" link find out more about the School IPM effort in Pennsylvania and links to educational material from across the country. You can also download several publications, including IPM for Pennsylvania Schools, A How-To Manual. In addition, there is an interactive database on the Web site to assist teachers with IPM background information, lesson plans and support materials throughout the U.S.
The Pennsylvania IPM program is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at promoting integrated pest management in both agricultural and nonagricultural situations.