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Pesticide Permitting Stakeholder Group (PPSG)

General information page for stakeholders and interested parties regarding the Pesticides General Permit.

Pesticides General Permit

Participation in the Pesticide Stakeholder Group

The Pesticide Permitting Stakeholder Group is open to the public. Anyone who is interested in the pesticide permitting program may attend and participate in meetings.

Related Information

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Introduction and Background

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has traditionally regulated the application of pesticides, even those applied on or near water in the United States, through the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act .

On November 27, 2006, the EPA issued a final rule clarifying two specific circumstances in which a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit was not required to apply pesticides to or around water. The rule became effective on January 26, 2007.
On January 9, 2009, the Sixth Circuit vacated EPA’s 2006 NPDES Pesticides Rule. The Court held that the Clean Water Act unambiguously includes “biological pesticides” and “chemical pesticides” with residuals within its definition of “pollutant.”Chemical pesticide residuals are pollutants if they are discharged from a point source requiring an NPDES permit. Biological pesticides are always considered pollutants—regardless of whether the application results in residuals—and require an NPDES permit for all discharges from a point source.

The EPA subsequently requested a two-year stay which was granted by the court. It stated that NPDES permits were required for discharges to waters of the U.S. of biological pesticides, and of chemical pesticides that leave a residue, no later than April 9, 2011.

As a result of the decision, effective October 31, 2011, the discharge of pesticides must be regulated through the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program. On November 2, 2011 the TCEQ issued a permit authorizing the point source discharge of pesticides for the control of mosquito and other insect pests, vegetation and algae, animal pest, area-wide and forest canopy pests.

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Scheduled Meetings

There is no meeting scheduled at this time. The date of the next meeting will be announced here.

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Contact Information

If you are interested in receiving notifications, or have questions or comments concerning this program, please e-mail the following information to PGP@TCEQ.TEXAS.GOV:

  • Name
  • Affiliation
  • Address
  • Phone Number
  • E-mail address

Contact the Water Quality Division at (512) 239-4671.

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