worker protection standards

The Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed rule that would improve and modernize the pesticide Application Exclusion Zone requirements.  Those requirements are part of the 2015 Agricultural Worker Protection Standard, and the agency is proposing to reinstate several provisions from that standard.  ...

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has officially adopted Worker Protection Standard rules that are more in line with what the Federal Government is instituting for 2018.   Joel Kangiser with WSDA said there aren’t as many changes in Washington as there are in other states.   “...

Despite efforts by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and the American Farm Bureau Federation, EPA’s new worker protection standards have become law.   The organizations had pushed for a delay because it, “fails to advance the purpose of furthering the safety of farmworkers.”   Offici...

The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Association of State Departments of Agriculture have sent a letter to the EPA asking to delay the implementation of changes to the Worker Protection Standards.   They say the law is incomplete and violates federal law while failing to advance safety for farmworkers.  ...

The federal Worker Protection Standards will go through some changes once January 2nd hits.   But there is good news for Washington growers according to WSDA’s Joel Kangiser.   “The state of Washington’s had in place a number of restrictions that EPA has now just come up to. There’s a few new things t...

With the new year just a couple of weeks away, farmers, ranchers and other owner/operators are preparing for many changes.   Washington Growers League President Mike Gempler said, “There’s more pesticide safety regulations, higher wages, and then I think there’s going to be a lot of uncertainty in the area of immigration policy from the federal level with the new incoming Trump administration.”