Associations Oppose Florida Legislation that Weakens Licensing Requirements

The Florida Pest Management Association, National Pest Management Association, Certified Pest Control Operators Association, Certified Operators of SW Florida, Professional Landcare Network, and the Lawn Maintenance Association oppose this amendment because it represents increased threats to consumer and environmental safety.

In response to this proposed bill, Gene Harrington, director of government affairs, NPMA, sent the following letter to Stan Mayfield, chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment Appropriations, Florida House of Representatives:

Dear Chairman Mayfield:

I am writing on behalf of the National Pest Management Association and our more than 530 Florida members to urge you to oppose an amendment by Representative Ralph Poppell to House Bill 7075 that significantly weakens certification and training requirements for prospective lawn and ornamental pest control licensees.

I understand the House Committee on Agriculture and Environment Appropriations will consider the Poppell amendment in the very near future. This proposal will allow Limited Landscape Certificate holders to bypass the normal and more rigid educational and experience requirements one must meet to obtain the lawn and ornamental certified operator’s license. Watering down the Florida Structural Pest Control Act’s educational and experience requirements jeopardizes the safety and health of Floridians as well as the state’s environment. The Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance Certification Program was designed to allow landscape maintenance personnel to apply certain pesticides (those with a signal word of Caution) to ornamental plants and plant beds only. Moreover, the Limited Landscape Certificate limits applicators to using portable, handheld three gallon compressed air sprayers or backpack sprayers having no more than a five gallon capacity. Limited Certificate holders are expressly prohibited from using any power equipment or making any kind of pesticide applications (including weed control) to any turf areas.

The Limited Commercial Landscape Certificate was intended as a way to permit employees of landscaping companies that use pesticides periodically to use very small quantities to control garden pests without having to meet the more difficult requirements that a certified operator or identification card holder would have to meet. The Limited Landscape Certificate was created as a way to reduce – not completely remove – minimum requirments for small landscaping businesses. It was never intended as the first step one would have to take to own a lawn and ornamental business.

The Poppel Amendment, however, would permit Limited Landscape Certificate holders to obtain a lawn and ornamental certified operator’s license after only 30 lawn pest control applications. Such a proposal would completely undermine the goal all of us should share, that of having well educated, seasoned professionals oversee Florida’s lawn care companies.

Do not forget that under the Limited Landscape Certificate, certificate holders are permitted to use only a limited type of pesticides. Yet, the Poppell Amendment would permit Limited Certificate holders to be able to run a business that could apply any pesticide for hire, simply because they performed 30 supervised lawn care applications. They would also be in charge of supervising employees, again simply because they themselves were supervised for 30 jobs. The Poppell Amendment is a clear weakening of the current education, experience and certification requirements, and it must be defeated.

Again, I urge you to support the defeat of the Poppell Amendment to House Bill 7075. I appreciate your consideration of this very important matter and encourage you to contact me at gharrington@pestworld.org or 800-678-6722, ext. 130, should you have any additional questions regarding this issue.

Sincerely,
Gene Harrington
Director, Government Affairs
National Pest Management Association