WPS Certification for Pesticide Safety Educators

Richard Pont, U.S. EPA

Richard Pont works for the U.S. EPA’s Certification and Worker Protection Branch in the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) where he serves as an Environmental Protection Specialist and senior program advisor for EPA’s Worker Safety Program. Pont holds a: B.S. degree in Agronomy from the University of Florida in 1983 and M.S. degree in Entomology from UF in 1987. Richard possess over 25 years of experience working in pesticide regulatory programs, including over 20 years of experience working with the pesticide applicator certification and worker protection programs. His current responsibilities include assisting with EPA’s effort to revise the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard and Pesticide Applicator Certification regulations (40 CFR Parts 170 and 171), as well as coordinating various applicator certification and worker protection program activities for EPA’s national program office.

In addition, Mr. Pont is a member of the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators (AAPSE), has been a member of the Certification and Training Assessment Group (CTAG) since the group’s inception, and currently serves as an EPA representative on the CTAG Board of Directors. He has also been involved with the WPS revision process since EPA initiated the process (back in 2005!), and has been active in the rule development and writing throughout the process.

• 8:30 - 10:00 AM, Sep 18, 2017

  Session 1: WPS Requirements

• 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Sep 18, 2017

  Session 2: WPS Training Content for Workers and Handlers

• 1:30 - 3:00 PM, Sep 18, 2017

  Session3: How to Convey Effective WPS Training to Workers and Handlers

• 3:30 - 4:00 PM, Sep 18, 2017

  Session 4: Practice Session

• 6:00 - 6:15 PM, Sep 18, 2017

  Distribution of Certificates

• 8:00 - 8:30 AM, Sep 18, 2017

  Welcome and Introduction

• 6:00 - 6:15 PM, Sep 18, 2017

  Distribution of Certificates

Kevin Keaney, U.S. EPA

Kevin Keaney is chief of U.S. EPA’s Pesticide Worker Safety Programs and the Pesticide Container / Containment Programs. He manages the national agricultural worker protection program, the national pesticide applicator certification program, and the national pesticide container / containment program. Also, Kevin managed a pesticide worker safety projects in Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic and implements an initiative to better prepare health care providers to recognize and manage pesticide poisonings. He has worked in a number of policy and management positions in EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs. Before working for EPA, he taught at universities in Pittsburgh and in Baltimore, directed a community action program in Virginia, and was a planner / economist for Washington's Metro subway development. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Economics and in English Literature, and has studied law.

• 8:00 - 8:30 AM, Sep 18, 2017

  Welcome and Introduction

• 6:00 - 6:15 PM, Sep 18, 2017

  Distribution of Certificates

Kaci Buhl, National Pesticide Information Center

Kaci Buhl was born and raised in Michigan, where she loved the outdoors. After being inspired by some wonderful teachers, she started hunting bugs and studied entomology at Michigan State University. Entomology led to pest management, which led to pesticide science. After earning her master’s degree, she joined the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) as a pesticide specialist. Kaci enjoys working directly with the public, responding to real-life questions about the risks and benefits of different pest management strategies.

Kaci worked with the Oregon Department of Agriculture as a Pesticide Investigator, monitoring compliance and responding to complaints. Since 2006, Kaci has been coordinating operations at NPIC, collaboratively writing publications, web content, podcasts, and other outreach materials that speak to the real issues people report to the Center.
Kaci is a Senior Faculty Research Assistant at Oregon State University in the Department for Environmental & Molecular Toxicology. She is the Coordinator for the National Pesticide Information Center.

• 4:30 - 6:00 PM, Sep 18, 2017

  Session 5: WPS Materials Available