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Notification of Pesticide Applications

Notification of Pesticide Applications

Our district has put into place the following guidelines for notifying parents, students and staff of pesticide applications according to Washington State Law. A pesticide is defined as any chemicals designed to kill living things. We limit our use of pesticides as much as possible, but to support our parents right-to-know when chemicals are being used on our grounds, particularly for those children with asthmatic or chemical sensitivities. If you believe your child to be sensitive to chemicals, please notify your school nurse or the Facilities Support office 509-527-3017 as soon as possible.

Pre-notification to apply pesticides/ herbicides is to be provided to the schools in each of the following ways:
• 48 hours minimum notice is to be provided to parents and students by posting a sign in a prominent place in the main office of the school.
• Notification to any interested parties, school secretaries, principals, and school nurses so that they can notify parents of pesticide sensitive children by phone or by email.
• The Department of Agriculture’s “List of Pesticide Sensitive Individuals” is to be consulted and any person listed that is located with in one-half mile of the application will be notified at least 2 hours in advance of application.
• Application must be applied with in 48 hours of the intended dates on the posted notice or the notification process must be repeated.

Notification at time of application is to be provided to the schools in the following way:
• Markers are to be placed at the location of the application, and at each primary point of entry to school grounds and left in place for at least 24 hours from the time the application is completed, or during the restricted re-entry interval required by the pesticide manufacturer, whichever is longer.
• A school is not liable for the removal of signs by unauthorized persons, or for personal property or bodily injury resulting from signs that are placed as required.

Records of all applications, including an annual summary stating when applied, where applied, and what pesticide was used will be available upon request to interested persons by calling Charles Broughton or Mike Kay at Facilities Support 527-3017.

The pre-notification requirements do not apply if the application is made to a school that is not occupied by students for at least two consecutive days after application, or to any emergency applications for controlling and pest that poses an injury, health, or safety threat, such as an application to control stinging insects. However, notification of the application will be made as soon as possible after the application is made.

These requirements regarding school facility applications do not apply to applications of antimicrobial pesticides intended for use as disinfectants, sanitizers, or to the placement of insect or rodent baits that are not accessible to children.

All current pesticide activity is posted on the district website, and may be consulted at any time on the Facilities & Operations website.

These guidelines are according to RCW 17.21.415

Revised 06.2017