WAC 16-228-1460   What are the requirements for experimental use permits?  (1) Pesticides shall not be distributed or used for experimental purposes unless a written permit has been obtained from the director. All distribution and use of pesticides for experimental purposes shall be subject to restrictions and conditions described in the experimental use permit. Applications for experimental use permits shall be submitted on forms prescribed by the director.

     (2) For individual experimental use permits that are product and site specific, the application shall include the following (when applicable):

     (a) Name of the active ingredient and/or product name and/or EPA registration number of the product to be used;

     (b) Person responsible for carrying out provisions of the experimental use permit and means of locating this person in case of emergency;

     (c) Target pest(s);

     (d) Crop or site and location(s) to which the pesticide is to be applied;

     (e) Disposition of any treated food or feed and of subsequent crops from treated sites;

     (f) Rate of application of formulation or active ingredient and number of applications;

     (g) Timing and duration of the proposed program;

     (h) Area (acres, sq. ft., etc.) to which the pesticide is to be applied;

     (i) Total amount of pesticide to be applied;

     (j) Federal experimental use permit number and text;

     (k) Labeling to accompany the pesticide in the field;

     (l) Any other information required by the director.

     (3) An individual experimental use permit shall not be issued for use of a pesticide on a food or feed unless a tolerance greater than residues anticipated from the treatment or exemption from the requirement of a tolerance has been obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency, provisions for destruction of the treated food or feed and any crop residue have been made, or adequate demonstration has been made to the department that no detectable pesticide residue from the experimental program will be present in food or feed. The director may require evidence to substantiate any of the above.

     (4) Collective experimental use permits may be issued by the director for experimental programs conducted on terrestrial sites by recognized research institutions, organizations, pesticide registrants, or persons licensed by the department to conduct demonstration and research activities on land they own or control. For the purposes of this section, "control" means:

     (a) The person responsible for carrying out the provisions of the experimental use permit owns or leases the land on which the pesticide is being applied; or

     (b) The person responsible for carrying out the provisions of the experimental use permit has received documented permission from the landowner or manager to conduct such activities.

     (5) An application for a collective experimental use permit shall include the following:

     (a) The name, address and phone number of the person responsible for carrying out the provisions of the collective experimental use permit, and means of locating the person in case of emergency;

     (b) A signed statement that:

     (i) Use will not exceed one acre per active ingredient per year;

     (ii) No applications will be made to aquatic sites (experimental applications to aquatic sites must be performed under an individual experimental use permit);

     (iii) No applications will be made to residential sites (experimental applications to residential sites must be performed under an individual experimental use permit);

     (iv) All treated food and feed crops will be destroyed after harvest unless a tolerance greater than the residues anticipated from the treatment or exemption from the requirement of a tolerance has been obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency. "Destroyed" means rendered unusable for food or feed or used for research purposes only;

     (v) Any adverse environmental effects will be immediately reported to the department;

     (vi) All applicable use directions and restrictions on the federal, state or experimental use pesticide label will be followed.

     (6) The director may monitor the implementation of any experimental use permit. This may include collection of samples, inspection of premises, records and equipment, and any other related activities specified by the director. The conditions of any experimental use permit may require notification of a designated department office prior to application and/or presence of a departmental representative at the application. Experimental use permits shall be considered labeling for purposes of enforcement. Violations of these permits shall be considered use inconsistent with the label.

     (7) Summaries of experimental results, date and method of disposal of treated food or feed crop (if applicable), and any adverse environmental effects resulting from the application shall be retained by the holder of the permit for three years and shall be submitted to the department upon request of the director.

     (8) Pesticides intended for experimental use must be contained in secure containers, the labeling of which must present such precautions as are known to be necessary to protect the health of persons who may come in contact with the pesticide and to prevent unreasonable adverse effects on the environment. Any unused experimental use pesticide that does not have a registered use in the state must be returned to the manufacturer or disposed of properly. Individual experimental use permits shall be considered labeling for the purposes of enforcement. Violations of these permits shall be considered use inconsistent with the label.

     (9) The director may limit the amount of pesticide, acres or areas to be treated, licensing, or qualifications of persons exercising the permit, or any other condition of an experimental use permit. The director may deny, amend, suspend or revoke any experimental use permit if it is found to be in violation of applicable federal regulations, in violation of chapters 15.58 and 17.21 RCW or rules adopted thereunder, or if the director deems such action necessary to protect public health and the environment.



[Statutory Authority: Chapters 17.21, 15.58, 34.05 RCW. 03-22-029, § 16-228-1460, filed 10/28/03, effective 11/28/03. Statutory Authority: Chapters 15.54, 15.58 and 17.21 RCW. 99-22-002, § 16-228-1460, filed 10/20/99, effective 11/20/99.]