Rebuttal to Hurley et al. (2014) from the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission

The 2014 summer edition of American Entomologist contained an article entitled “Regulating Pesticide Use in United States Schools” that mentioned efforts enacted by the State of Georgia (Hurley et al. 2014). The Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission (GSPCC) were pleased to note that the article highlighted Georgia's regulatory involvement, as we feel those efforts could serve as a blueprint for other State Lead Agencies (SLAs) in promoting School Integrated Pest Management (SIPM) programs. However, the GSPCC felt that the article contained certain inaccuracies and the purpose of this rebuttal is to point out and correct these inaccuracies.The Georgia Structural Pest Control Act of 1955 created the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission (GSPCC). The GSPCC is composed of seven members, including a designee from the University of Georgia Department of Entomology, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA), and the Georgia Department of Public Health. It also includes three certified Pest Management Professionals (PMP) and a consumer affairs and protection representative; these last four members are appointed by the Commissioner of the GDA. The Commissioner of the GDA serves as Secretary to the GSPCC. The Commission is charged with issuing licenses and certifications and approves PMP recertification training. The GSPCC is also charged with creating the Rules, which are enforced by the GDA, to protect the interest, health, and safety of the public and govern PMPs.In November of 2000, the GSPCC amended the Rules to establish minimum treatment standards for the treatment of schools. The new standard provided greater protection against the accidental exposure of children to pesticides. Hurley et al. (2014) references the “Georgia School Pesticide Act (2003)” on pages 108 and 111 under the topic headings “Pesticide application record-keeping” and “Enforcement,” respectively. There is no such act. A search of the Georgia Legislature Web site for 2003 …