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Learn how to properly assess a site for soil fumigation and consider weather conditions to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the process.
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PREPARING FOR SOIL FUMIGATION • The first step in such preparation is site assessment – evaluate the suitability of the site. • Site assessment will help to: • protect people and the environment. • choose soil management methods, fumigants, and application techniques.. • maximize fumigant efficacy.
SITE ASSESSMENT • Determine if the proposed application site is near areas where people gather (e.g., residences, businesses, public meeting sites, hospitals, or schools). • Nearness to occupied structures does not necessarily preclude fumigation (except for some occupied difficult-to-evacuate sites). However, it does require additional planning.
SITE ASSESSMENT • Evaluate the site’s topography (surface features). Under stable air conditions, if fumigant vapors travel offsite, they can collect and concentrate down slope. • When making a soil fumigant application, consider the potential offsite movement to surrounding areas due to changes in topography. • Take additional precautions if these areas contain structures occupied by humans or animals, or if you will need to enter them during or shortly after the fumigation. Such precautions include wearing appropriate PPE and monitoring for fumigant air concentrations. • Identify and locate field obstacles that may pose risk to the applicator or application equipment.
Soil characteristics • Environmental and field conditions affect both the success and the safety of the fumigation. • Be aware that fumigant labels carry specific directions for mandatory GAPs to prepare soil before fumigation. • Soil GAPs refer to soil preparation, condition, moisture, and temperature.
WEATHER FORECAST • Present and immediate postapplicaton weather conditions affect fumigant vapors that escape from the soil. These vapors can move offsite and expose nearby people, animals, and plants. • This includes both weather conditions at the start of the application and immediately after the application. • The certified applicator supervising the application must check the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast before a soil fumigation. • This check will help determine if unfavorable weather conditions may occur when a fumigation is planned— and whether the application should proceed.
WEATHER FORECAST Check the weather forecast: • On the day of and preceding the start of the application. • Each day during the application if the time elapsed from the start of the application until the application is complete is greater than 24 hours.
WEATHER FORECAST • You may obtain detailed NWS forecasts for local weather conditions, wind speed, and air stagnation advisories online at: - http://www.nws.noaa.gov, - on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio, - or by contacting your local NWS forecasting office.
TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS • Temperature inversions are often to blame for human exposure to fumigants. • In an inversion, warmer (lighter) air rises above cooler (heavier) air, which settles near the ground. Under inversion conditions, normal air mixing does not take place; fumigant vapors settle and concentrate near the ground. • When an inversion happens, fumigant vapors often move offsite with low-level air movement or settle in low-lying areas. • Low-level winds (less than 2 mph) are highly unpredictable in the direction they move.
TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS Clues that inversion conditions exist include: • Road dust that hangs in the air and has little upward or lateral movement. • Ground fog or smog that remains concentrated with little upward movement. • Smoke from the ground that rises little, flattens out, and moves as a concentrated cloud.
TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS • Temperature inversion conditions typically start an hour before sunset and continue past sunrise. • They may persist as late as noontime. However, inversions can persist all day long. • Inversion conditions are common on nights with limited cloud cover and little to no wind. • Look for ground fog, smog, or smoke that flattens out below a ceiling layer and moves sideways in a concentrated cloud. (Note that coastal fog generated by inland movement of sea air masses does not necessarily indicate temperature inversions.)
TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS Air Stagnation Advisory • Most labels (except 1,3-D only formulations) prohibit an application to proceed if an air stagnation advisory issued by the NWS is in effect for the area anytime from the start of application until 48 hours after the application is scheduled to be complete. • If an air stagnation warning occurs during the application, the application must stop.
LIGHT WINDS • Most labels (except 1,3-D only formulations) prohibit an application to proceed if light wind conditions (less than 2 mph) are expected to persist for more than 18 consecutive hours from the time the application starts until 48 hours after the application is scheduled to be complete.
Which of the following items must you consider during a site assessment? 1. Topography. 2. Geneology. 3. Geology
A fumigant handler is planning to apply a fumigant to a sloping field. The loam soil contains some surface crop residue and 60 % available soil moisture. Which site or soil characteristic should be the handler’s biggest concern? • The steepness of the slope. • The amount of crop residue. • The available moisture.
Which of the following predicted weather conditions will prohibit a fumigant application? • If wind speed of 3 mph or less persists for 18 consecutive hours from the start of the application until 48 hours after the application is scheduled to end. • If an air stagnation advisory will occur any time from the start of the application until 48 hours after the application is scheduled to end. • If wind speed between 5 and 10 mph occurs during a solid stream chemigation application.
Which two statements about temperature inversions are correct? • (1) They typically start an hour before sunset; (2) they are common on nights with limited cloud cover • (1) Cooler air is above warmer air; (2) normal air mixing does not take place. • (1) Warmer air rises above cooler air; (2) wind speed exceeds 7 mph.
Fumigant Management Plan (FMP) • A Fumigant Management Plan (FMP) is a site-specific plan prepared before any fumigation begins. • An FMP is intended to ensure that all aspects of a safe and effective fumigation have been planned ahead of the actual work. • It captures how a certified applicator is planning to comply with label requirements and serves as a record of compliance.
Fumigant Management Plan (FMP) • Anyone may develop the FMP. However, the certified applicator-in-charge of the application must, before beginning the fumigation: review, sign, and date the plan to verify that it is accurate, up to date, and complies with the label.
Fumigant Management Plan (FMP) You must record all of the following elements in a soil fumigation FMP: • Certified applicator and owner information. • General site information. • General application information. • Tarp plan (if tarp is used). • Soil conditions. • Buffer zones.
Fumigant Management Plan (FMP) You must also record all of the following elements in a soil fumigation FMP: • Emergency response plan. • Posting of fumigant treated area and buffer zone signs. • Emergency preparedness and response measures (if applicable). • State and/or tribal lead agency advance notification. • Communication plan.
Fumigant Management Plan (FMP) You must also record all of the following elements in a soil fumigation FMP: • Fumigant handler information, training, and PPE. • Air-monitoring plan. • Chemigation and drip application monitoring information (if applicable). • Good agricultural practices. • Pesticide product labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs).
FMP DOCUMENTATION AND RECORDKEEPING • A certified applicator or other worker must prepare and review an FMP before a soil fumigation begins. • The FMP must be kept on site during all handler activities. • It must also be made immediately available to handlers; local, state, federal, and tribal enforcement personnel; and emergency responders. • Both the certified applicator and the property owner/lessee must keep a copy of the FMP on file for two years from the date of the application.
GROWERS MAY CHOOSE TO DEVELOP A FARM-WIDE FMP A farm-wide FMP allows growers to: • keep the information common to all application blocks on the farm in one document and in one place (for example, in the first section of a binder). • include information about the certified applicator, owner, fumigant handlers, and emergency response plans. • include details on the product, tarps, and/or application method. • Information unique to each separate application block is recorded in different sections. This might include the location and size of each application block, buffer sizes, application dates, weather, and soil conditions.
FMP/PAS Soil fumigant labels require that: • both the certified applicator and the owner/operator retain the FMP and PAS for two years. Note: Federal RUP application record retention requirements are also two years.
Additional Information: • Several templates and web-based systems exist for preparing FMPs and PASs. • These are available from EPA, pesticide registrants, and commercial entities. • Some of the commercially-available programs may contain enough information to meet the application record, FMP, and PAS reporting requirements.
The certified applicator-in-charge of the fumigation is the only person who may prepare a fumigant management plan (FMP). • True • False
