A review of pesticide use record violations in Georgia public schools

In 2006, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Division (GDA SPCD) began reviewing pesticide use records of pest management professionals servicing Georgia public schools. GDA SPCD inspectors were divided among 19 GDA designated districts and required to inspect daycares and schools for company records not in compliance with state, local and federal laws. Companies not in compliance were cited and subject to loss of licensure or fines. This assessment reviewed the GDA SPCD records from April 2007- April 2009. The citations and violations associated with Georgia schools were collected from all 19 state designated districts and tabulated into thirteen violation categories. A total of 1,926 pesticide use records were reviewed with the number of violations reaching 9,110. The information will be used to direct future training and or educational efforts.