WASHINGTON — Grants totaling nearly $1 million have been awarded for projects that use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches to reduce pesticide risk. The grants will support the demonstration of innovative IPM practices, technologies, outreach, and education, according to a Dec. 4 press release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In selecting grant awards, EPA emphasized projects that address:
• alternatives to soil fumigants and azinphos methyl, a pesticide used on orchard fruit, nuts and other crops;
• IPM strategies for watersheds with pesticides in surface waters;
• IPM in schools, daycare, and hospitals;
• adoption of biopesticides or reduced-risk pesticides;
• methods for measuring IPM adoption or the reduction of risks associated with pesticide use, and
• business cases for implementing IPM
Grant funding was authorized by the Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act. Grants were awarded to a number of organizations, including the following related to structural pest management:
• IPM Institute of North America (Madison, Wis.): $250,000 for "High-level IPM in All U.S. Schools by 2015."
For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/pesp/pria2grants.htm.