Pesticide Safety Report Maps Texas’ and Nation’s Schools Near Crop Fields

Image of farm machinery spraying crops
Image: Pixabay

A report (press release/interactive map) released this month by the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) on pesticide use near schools maps out more than 4,000 elementaries that are near crop farms, including 2,283 that are in Texas.

Of the Texas elementaries, 207 (9 percent) of them are within 200 feet of a crop field and the remaining 2,076 (91 percent) of them are within a quarter of a mile of a crop field.

Specific to Texas
The specific pest control measures in Texas, the report says, include:

  • Signage is required 48 hours prior to outdoor application at schools, educational institutions, and day cares.
  • Each school must have Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and a trained IPM coordinator.
  • Consumer information sheets must be given to any school employee at their request.
  • Written notification is required for parents when indoor application or perimeter application occurs.
  • Parents may sign up at the beginning of the school year for prior notification of applications.
  • Texas Structural Pest Control Board regulations classify pesticides by their EPA toxicity category color codes — green, yellow, and red representing different precautions and re-entry times. Certain colors carry use and buffer zone restrictions for application at schools.

Note: See also How Texas Became Leader in Safe Public School Pest Management by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.