Five Companies Lauded for Reducing Pesticide Risk

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has presented awards to five members of the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) for their sustained excellence in integrated pest management (IPM).

“These awards demonstrate that innovative pest management practices really do work,” said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances, “EPA is helping growers and other pesticide users make the transition to safer practices and thereby reduce pesticide risk to people and the environment.”

The awardees related to the strucutural pest control industry  were:

• IPM Institute of North America, Inc. (Madison, Wis.) for creating and marketing its innovative program for IPM certification for schools and pest control companies.
• U.S. Department of Defense Armed Forces Pest Management Board (Washington, D.C.) for its extraordinary level of commitment to IPM and outstanding efforts to prevent and manage disease vectors and pests.

PESP is an EPA partnership for reducing risks posed by pesticide use to human health and the environment in both agricultural and urban settings. Established in 1994 with six charter members, PESP has grown to include almost 200 members.