U.S. Department of 

Agriculture

Office of Pest Management Policy

Clayton Myers, Ph.D.

Acting Director, Entomologist

6 April 2021
Contents

• Introduction to the USDA Office of Pest 

Management Policy (OPMP).

• Overview of pesticide regulatory processes.

• How professionals in agriculture, including 

IPM coordinators, can provide input on 

federal pesticide regulation. 

• Current status of EPA Registration Review 

and Other Activities
Office of Pest Management Policy

• OPMP is in the USDA Office of the Chief Economist.

• We are responsible for:

• developing USDA policy on pest management, pesticides, 

and agricultural biotechnology;

• consulting with stakeholders on pest managementrelated actions taken by USDA and other agencies; and

• interagency coordination with EPA, FDA, and other 

federal and state regulatory agencies.

• https://www.usda.gov/oce/pest/about
Office of Pest Management Policy

• Interdisciplinary, collaborative group

• Sheryl Kunickis, Director (retired)

• Clayton Myers, Acting Director, Entomologist

• Elyssa Arnold, Regulatory Risk Assessor (Ecology and Env. Fate)

• Anastasia Bodnar, Agricultural Biotechnology Advisor

• Julie Chao, Regulatory Risk Assessor (Human Health)

• Cameron Douglass, Agronomist/Weed Scientist

• Julius Fajardo, Plant Pathologist

• Seth Wechsler, Agricultural Economist

• Lori Quade, Administrative Officer

• Contact information and bios: 

https://www.usda.gov/oce/pest/office-staff
OPMP Stakeholders

• Growers

• Pesticide applicators

• Pesticide registrants

• Federal agencies

• State agencies

• Extension agents

• Congress

• International agencies
Federal Pesticide Regulation

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 

responsible for federal pesticide regulation.

• Evaluate potential harm from pesticides to humans, 

wildlife, and water resources.

• Approve pesticide labels with use directions and 

restrictions intended to reduce risk. 

• Conduct periodic re-revaluation of pesticide registrations 

(every 15 years).
OPMP’s Role in Pesticide Regulation

• OPMP provides agricultural context and usage 

information to assist EPA in pesticide regulation.

• Examine EPA’s inputs for assessing risks 

(typical usage vs worst case assumptions).

• What is the pesticide used for?

• How is the pesticide applied? 

• Where is the pesticide applied?

• How much of the pesticide is used?

• What are the existing label use directions and restrictions?
OPMP’s Role (continued)

• Help EPA to assess potential impacts of proposed 

changes to label use directions and restrictions. 

• Proposed changes may unnecessarily restrict or limit 

use of a pesticide.

• Proposed changes may be expensive or difficult for 

farmers or applicators to implement.

• Provide information about benefits.

• Availability or viability of alternative methods to 

control a pest.

• Comparative risks of available alternatives.

• Importance of a pesticide to integrated pest 

management or to resistance management.
Public Comments

• EPA posts draft and final documents for public review.

• Ecological risk assessments

• Human health risk assessments

• Preliminary interim decisions

• New pesticide active ingredients or new uses

• Rulemaking and other policy proposals
Public Comments

• Comments are typically made through Regulations.gov.

• Anyone can provide public comments within the open 

comment period.
Substantive Comments

• Raise scientific, legal, or technical issues relevant to 

the proposed action.

• Specific examples, citing published literature, 

economic data, personal experience.

• Describe how the action could impact you, or your 

business, research, institution, stakeholders...

• Answer specific questions posed by an agency.

• Send comments to OPMP!
Reg. Review Cases of Note

• October 2022 deadline for finishing--difficult cases 

still remain

• Numerous fungicides, including triazoles and multisite protectant active ingredients

• Organophosphate insecticides

• Neonicotinoid insecticides

• Pyridine/pyrimidine herbicides

• Post-harvest fumigants
ESA and Other Regulations

• EPA ‘Biological Evaluations’ for Carbaryl, Methomyl, 

Glyphosate, Triazines, Neonicotinoids

• FWS and NMFS ‘Biological Opinions’ for Malathion, 

Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, Herbicides, 1,3-D

• Litigation Support to EPA on behalf of important 

pesticide benefits for agriculture

• Informal Working Group with EPA and stakeholders 

on Compost Residue Concerns
Learn More

• Learn more about OPMP: 

https://www.usda.gov/oce/pest

• Learn more about pesticide registration: 

https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/about- pesticide-registration

• Learn more about pesticide reevaluation: 

https://www.epa.gov/pesticide- reevaluation/registration-review-process

• Learn more about providing public comments: 

https://www.regulations.gov/help

• Images via Flaticon.com.