A group of students listens to a presentation from a graduate student in a greenhouse.

Pesticides

A pesticide is defined as any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest, or intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant.

All university personnel (includes faculty members, staff members, students, and any other university- affiliated individuals) who label, store, use, transport, dispose of, or clean up spills of pesticides are responsible for adhering to federal and state regulations, as well as Cornell Health & Safety Policy 8.6.

It is essential that teaching, research, extension, exterior ground maintenance and structural pest control involving pesticide use be conducted properly and legally for the protection of the pesticide applicator, other employees, staff, students, public health, and the environment.

The responsibility for ensuring that all work with pesticides at Cornell is conducted properly and legally rests on the individual user.

Pesticides in the news

Important Information To Know

For more information about specific pesticides in the news, go to CALS OEH Pesticides page.

Learn more about specific pesticides
a corn field
Corn field at Musgrave Research Farm. Credit: Matt Hayes (CALS)

Pesticide Dacthal

EPA Issues Emergency Order to Stop Use of Pesticide Dacthal to Address Serious Health Risk

WASHINGTON – Today, Aug. 6, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the emergency suspension of all registrations of the pesticide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). 

Additional information is available in the DCPA registration review docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0374.  

Read the DCPA Emergency Order

Chlorpyrifos

EPA Issues Final Cancellation and Termination of Uses Order for Chlorpyrifos Products 
  • Termination of Uses for One Chemstarr and One Tide Product
  •   Product Cancellation for Two Central Garden & Pet Products   

 

The final order is available at docket ID EPA-HQ-OPP-2022-0223 at www.regulations.gov. 

Updated chlorpyrifos frequently asked questions   

Learn More about Chlorpyrifos  

Neonicotinoids

 "Birds and Bees" Act, Nation-Leading Legislation to Protect New Yorkers and Wildlife From Harmful Pesticides December 22, 2023, Albany, NY

Pesticide Certification

Cornell requires that all individuals handling pesticides as a part of university programs to be certified pesticide applicators.

Policies, Certification, and Regulations
Specific NYS Regulatory Requirements
Record Keeping and Reporting
Management and Environmental Protection
Health and Safety
Specific Pesticides
Transporting Pesticides

Pesticide Resources

Contact the Pesticides Office

Phone: 607-255-0485
Email: pesticides [at] cornell.edu (pesticides[at]cornell[dot]edu)