Pesticide Inspector Residential Training (PIRT)
Training Updates
The Tribal PIRT (Tulsa, OK), the Basic PIRT (Savannah, GA), and the Enforcement and Use Concern PIRT (Northampton, MA) have all been postponed to 2021. New dates will be posted for these trainings in the new year.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during this unpredictable and unexpected time.
Stay safe!
About the Pesticide Inspector Residential Training Program
The Pesticide Inspector Residential Training (PIRT) program typically funds two national pesticide classroom courses a year for state, tribal, and territorial inspectors. In the past, the PIRT has covered the following topics:
- urban FIFRA issues
- advanced inspector skills
- agricultural use
- structural training
- fumigation
- product related trainings.
There is also a Tribal PIRT that is offered to federally-recognized tribes every other year, which is coordinated by a small tribal planning committee that changes with each Tribal PIRT.
PIRT Steering Committee
The main PIRT program is coordinated by a small steering committee that helps establish PIRT strategic direction and priorities, as well as to recommend key training topics for pesticide inspectors.
- representatives from states, tribes, and EPA
- a minimum of five individuals employed by State Lead Agencies (SLAs), territories and tribal governments representing a minimum of three different EPA regional areas.
- one representative from each of the following:
The membership of the PIRT steering committee is staggered so that that no more than 1/3 of the members rotate off the committee on an annual basis following the federal fiscal year cycle (October 1 - September 30). Therefore, no member, exclusive of the coordinator and PREP liaison, remains on the steering committee more than three consecutive years.
| Name | Organization | Region Represented | Fiscal Year Term Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Engle (Coordinator) (engle.kelly@epa.gov) |
EPA Office of Compliance | HQ | N/A |
| Eric Fuentes-Ruiz (eric.fuentes@nebraska.gov) |
Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture | 7 | 2021 |
| Shawn Hackett (hackett.shawn@epa.gov) |
EPA Region 7 | 7 | 2021 |
| Rick Hayes (ricky.hayes@agr.georgia.gov) |
Georgia Department of Agriculture | 4 | 2022 |
| Rose Kachadoorian (AAPCO) (rkachadoorian@oda.state.or.us) |
Oregon Dept. of Agriculture | 10 | 2019 |
| Kristen Lashley (kristen.lashley@agi.alabama.gov) |
Alabama Dept. of Agriculture & Industries | 4 | 2021 |
| John McHugh (john.mchugh@hawaii.gov) |
Hawaii Department of Agriculture | 9 | 2022 |
| Lee McMillan (mcmillan.lee@epa.gov) |
EPA Region 6 | 6 | 2020 |
| Gwen Minton (gwen.minton@ncagr.gov) |
North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services | 4 | 2020 |
| Ralph Phillip Morris (ralph.morris@gric.nsn.us) |
Gila River Indian Community | 9 | 2020 |
| Tom Phillips (tom.phillips@maryland.gov) | Maryland Department of Agriculture | 3 | 2020 |
| Neil Richmond (neil.richmond@freshfromflorida.com) |
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | 4 | 2020 |
| George Saxton (ASPCRO) (saxton@purdue.edu) |
Office of Indiana State Chemist | 5 | 2019 |
| Cindy Wire (PREP) (wire.cindy@epa.gov) |
EPA Office of Pesticide Programs | HQ | N/A |
PIRT Charter
- The PIRT Charter outlines the expectations for the PIRT coordinator, steering committee, and hosts.
Trainings
| Title | Location | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Urban FIFRA Issues | Henderson, NV | May 18-22, 2015 |
| Advanced Inspector Skills | Albuquerque, New Mexico | February 23-27, 2015 |
| Worker Protection Standard (WPS) | Asheville, North Carolina | May 2-5, 2016 |
| Inspection Skills and Investigation Techniques – Tribal PIRT | Polson, Montana | August 16-18, 2016 |
| Pollinator Protection | Kissimmee, Florida | September 13-16, 2016 |
| Worker Protection Standard (WPS) | Portland, Oregon | April 24-27, 2017 |
| Advanced Inspector Skills | Savannah, Georgia | July 24-27, 2017 |
| Enforcement PIRT | Savannah, Georgia | June 10-14, 2018 |
| Basic Inspector PIRT | Asheville, North Carolina | September 9-13, 2018 |
| Tribal PIRT | Poplar, Montana | September 17-21, 2018 |
| Pesticide Drift Issues PIRT | Tri-Cities, Washington | May 14-17, 2019 |
| Basic Inspector PIRT | Savannah, Georgia | August 25-29, 2019 |
| Tribal PIRT | Tulsa, Oklahoma | Spring 2021 (tentatively) |
| Enforcement and Use Concerns PIRT | Northampton, Massachusetts | Fall 2021 (tentatively) |
| Basic PIRT | Savannah, Georgia | Fall 2021 (tentatively) |
Contacts
- For more information on the PIRT program, contact Kelly Engle (engle.kelly@epa.gov)