JULY NEWS

SENATE APPROVES HISTORIC PEST AMENDMENT
DUNN LORING, Va. — "It’s one of those moments when all the stars align and everyone works together for the same important cause."

That was what Bob Rosenberg, director of government affairs, National Pest Management Association (NPMA), said about the amendment to the Better Education for Students and Teachers Act (H.R. 1) that was approved on June 19. NPMA joined with the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides (NCAMP)/Beyond Pesticides to support the amendment, which was sponsored by Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.)

The amendment, titled the School Environment Protection Act, is the result of negotiations between NPMA, NCAMP/Beyond Pesticides, other industry groups, Torricelli, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.).

Both NPMA and NCAMP/Beyond Pesticides had long debated about the best approaches to managing pests in and around schools. "We were in negotiations with NCAMP since late April," Rosenberg said. Rosenberg and Gene Harrington, manager of government affairs, NPMA, worked tirelessly during these negotiations. "We believed the Torricelli amendment encompassed all the components of responsible and workable school pest management legislation."

The amendment requires each state to develop a school pest management plan, which school districts must adopt and a certified applicator or other person authorized by the state-lead pesticide agency must oversee.

All pest management plans must include a contact person, an IPM program, notification of applications must be sent out twice a year and a registry must be established for parents and staff who wish to be notified 24 hours prior to any pesticide application. A sign must also be posted 24 hours prior to and following any pesticide application. "It is important to note that all baits, gels and pastes are exempt from notification to parents and staff on the registry as well as signage posting," Rosenberg said.

The legislation has the potential to create more business for PCOs by requiring school districts to hire certified applicators or someone authorized by the state regulatory agency to help develop and implement an IPM plan for each school. Allen James, president, Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE), said, "Because schools are not required to hire a PCO, it is up to PCOs themselves to capitalize on this opportunity by offering their expertise to schools, while at the same time enhance their own business."

"The most important thing about this legislation is that it ensures that pest management in schools will be done in a professional manner and we have advocated for this for a long time," Rosenberg said.

It is especially important considering the alternatives to the NPMA-supported amendment. "I think there certainly would have been an amendment that required notification, but it would have required that all parents be notified prior to any pesticide application, instead of just those on the registry. Also, (the alternative amendment) would have required that pesticides be used only as a last result, which would have made it difficult for PCOs to do business," Rosenberg said.

H.R. 1 still has one final step: the House/Senate conference committee must make final negotiations and work out any differences between the House bill and the Senate bill. Then, the bill’s new language will be given to President George W. Bush to sign into law.

"If all goes well, the bill will be signed into law by this summer and the law will take effect on October 1," Rosenberg said. "Then, every state has 12 months to adopt a school pest management plan. Each school district must implement it within 12 months of the state’s adoption of that plan."

AVENTIS DIVESTS ITS "GOLD CREST" BUSINESS
LYON/FRANKFURT/TOKYO — Aventis Environmental Science on May 23 announced the sale of its Household Insecticides business to Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd. The price of the transaction was not disclosed. The business acquired by Sumitomo includes Aventis’ "Gold Crest" technical products group that sells active ingredients to manufacturers serving consumer markets.

According to an Aventis press release, the decision will allow the company "to develop and focus on its branded product lines" for the professional pest control (e.g., termite, vector, wood preservation, stored products) and green industry markets (e.g., turf, vegetation management). An Aventis spokesman said the sale will have no effect on the PCO market.

Sumitomo is Valent BioSciences in the U.S. Valent was founded in 1988 as a joint venture between Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited, a manufacturer involved in many chemical-related businesses, and Chevron Chemical Company. In 1991, Valent became a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical.

Phil Davis now leads the household insecticide business at Valent BioSciences.

LANGLEY ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM RISE
WASHINGTON, D.C. — After a 34-year commitment to the pesticide industry, the past six years as the manager of state government relations for RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment, www.pestfacts.org), Fred Langley has announced that he will retire at the end of the RISE fiscal year, August 31.

"Fred Langley was an early leader in the development of RISE, well before the association got its official start in February, 1991. He was among a small group of industry executives who saw the need for a national association to represent the interests of the specialty pesticide industry in Washington, D.C., and across the nation, and he helped make it happen," said Allen James, president of RISE.

"Without Fred representing us, RISE could not have successfully managed the growing array of state issues challenging the specialty pesticide industry. Few individuals have the ability, knowledge and connections to ‘work’ state pesticide issues like Fred Langley," James said.

Langley started his career in pest control with the Dow Chemical Company and eventually with its subsidiary, DowElanco (now Dow AgroSciences). Langley will continue to reside at his home in Greenland, N.H. He will present his final "State Issues" report at the RISE Annual Meeting in Florida, Sept. 4-7.

EPA MAKES TWO NEW APPOINTMENTS
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On May 24, the U. S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Linda J. Fisher as deputy administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And on June 14, the Senate confirmed Stephen L. Johnson as assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances.

Fisher will be the top managerial and policy assistant to EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. She has been involved in environmental issues throughout her career, including 10 years of experience at EPA, from 1983 to 1993. She held a number of positions, including chief of staff, assistant administrator for the Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation and assistant administrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic substances.

Johnson will be responsible for implementing the nation’s laws dealing with pesticides, industrial chemicals, food safety and pollution prevention. He will directly oversee EPA’s pesticide policies, including the implementation of FQPA. "In our world, he is an extremely significant figure," Gene Harrington, manager of government affairs, National Pest Management Association. "He has a great deal of experience handling pesticide issues and is very well versed and knowledgeable about the issues he will face."

Harrington said it is difficult to tell how Fisher’s appointment will affect the pest control industry. "However, because she will be the No. 2 person at EPA, she will obviously have broad responsibilities," he said. "She could be involved in some of the high profile pesticide and Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) advisory committees."

Harrington is eager to see how Fisher’s background will affect the industry. "Interestingly, she has a great deal of experience with pesticide-related issues," he said. "She served as assistant administrator for the Office of Pesticides, Pollution and Toxic Substances during the first Bush administration and, more recently, she was a lobbyist for Monsanto Company." Monsanto Company is a worldwide provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that work to improve farm productivity and food quality.

COOKIE BOURGEOIS PASSES AWAY
CHALMETTE, La. — Clarence "Cookie" Bourgeois, owner of Tri-Parish Pest Control, died May 6 at Chalmette Medical Center at the age of 76. Bourgeois was involved in the pest control industry since 1954 and held a number of association positions, including regional vice president of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). He served as president of the Greater New Orleans Pest Control Association, president of the Louisiana Pest Control Association (LPCA) and was a LPCA committee chairman. Bourgeois was also a member of the Louisiana Structural Pest Control Commission.

In 1989, Bourgeois was honored as one of NPMA’s Volunteers of the Year for his efforts in new membership recruitment. Bourgeois held the record for bringing the most new members into NPMA that year.

"He was a very gracious and generous person who did a lot of things for NPMA and he probably didn’t receive the recognition he deserved," said Lois Stevens-Caffey, corporate secretary-treasurer for Adams Pest Control and a longtime friend of Bourgeois.

Bourgeois is survived by his son, Kevin R. Bourgeois Sr.; three daughters, Carol Joy Bourgeois, Judy Zeringue and Jamie Bennett; four brothers, Otis E., Robert Clark, Earnest Rene and Kenneth L. Bourgeois; and six grandchildren.

DOW ACQUIRES ROHM AND HAAS’ AG CHEMICALS BUSINESS
INDIANAPOLIS AND PHILADELPHIA — The Dow Chemical Company and Rohm and Haas Company announced in early June that the two companies had completed the sale of Rohm and Haas Company’s agricultural business to Dow Chemical for about $1 billion, including working capital. The acquisition will be integrated into Dow AgroSciences LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow.

Under terms of the agreement, Dow AgroSciences acquired Rohm and Haas’ Agricultural Chemicals business, including fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, other product lines, trademarks and licenses to all agricultural uses of the Rohm and Haas biotechnology assets. With this acquisition, Dow AgroSciences’ annual sales are expected to grow to about $3 billion annually.

"We are very pleased with this acquisition, which is consistent with our overall growth strategy of adding value through mergers, acquisitions, alliances and our own R&D efforts," said A. Charles Fischer, president and CEO of Dow AgroSciences. "The new product lines we’ve acquired complement and enhance our portfolio and increase our global scale and reach, allowing us to better serve our customers."

"The agricultural chemicals business has a long and proud history with Rohm and Haas and has contributed substantially to our company," said Raj Gupta, Rohm and Haas Company’s chairman and CEO. "However, as we re-shape our portfolio and continually focus on profitable growth, it is clear our ag chemicals business and employees will flourish more as part of a global firm with a stronger market presence. Dow AgroSciences is a leader in the crop protection industry, and can ensure the vitality of the business in the marketplace."

With annual sales of $30 billion, Dow serves customers in more than 170 countries and a wide range of markets, including food, health and medicine, personal and home care, among others.

Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, is a leader in providing pest management and biotechnology products.

Rohm and Haas reported annual sales in 2000 of about $7 billion and employs 18,000. The company operates about 140 manufacturing and research sites in 27 countries around the world.

BUSH RECOGNIZES PEST MANAGEMENT MONTH
DUNN LORING, Va. — Calling on Americans to observe June as "National Pest Management Month," President George W. Bush encouraged the public to recognize and prevent the dangers posed by unwanted pests.

In a statement released on June 1st to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), the president said he applauded the efforts of those in the professional pest management industry for their efforts to protect homes and businesses from the damage caused by pests. "Our health, property, and food are protected because of their committed work," Bush wrote. "Members of the National Pest Management Association deserve our thanks for their dedication to maintaining high standards. Educating consumers about preventive measures and striving for excellence in service strengthens public confidence and contributes to a healthier environment for Americans."

"As President Bush said, educating consumers about the potential dangers from pests is of utmost importance, and is, in fact, our association’s number one priority – that’s why we created www.pestworld.org," said Rob Lederer, the association’s executive vice president. "Equally important is the need to educate consumers about the services our members provide, so that they can feel confident in selecting and hiring a pest management professional to help solve their pest problem."

UK ANNOUNCES ANNUAL PROGRAM
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The 31st Annual University of Kentucky Short Course will be held Sept. 25-27 in Lexington, Ky. The conference once again includes a money-back guarantee.

Featured topics include two, half-day workshops on emerging trends in termite and pest control; servicing accounts without using pesticides; ant control tips that work; the art of using sticky-traps; and, information on the psychology of a termite. Included among the 30 featured speakers are Austin Frishman, Jerome Goddard, Paul Hardy, Stoy Hedges, Gene White, Chris Christensen, Barbara Thorne and Fred Whitford.

For more information, contact Dr. Michael F. Potter at 859/257-5955 or e-mail dthorpe@ca.uk.edu.

COMINGS & GOINGS
Waterbury Companies recently announced several personnel changes. Robert Grant, vice president of marketing, will assume responsibility for all sales and marketing for the CB Professional Products division.

Richard Crowder, is now vice president in charge of research and development.

Waterbury Companies has also retained the services of Gary Curl as a consultant regarding new actives, strategic alliances and acquisitions.

Waterbury Companies has given educational, training and procedural assignments to Dave Luker of Cypress Sales and Marketing.

Finally, Waterbury hired Mark Sargent as national sales manager for the eastern U.S. and promoted Robert Stocker to national sales manager for the western U.S.

Carl Tanner has been promoted from director of U.S. sales and marketing to vice president of North American sales and marketing for LiphaTech Inc.

Thomas Winkofske, president, LiphaTech Inc., has now assumed additional responsibilities for LiphaTech operations worldwide. As chief operating officer of LiphaTech, Winkofske will focus on building a unified global image for the company.

Phil Davis now leads the household insecticide business at Valent BioSciences.

Nancy C. Hinkle is now an extension veterinary entomologist at the University of Georgia in Athens.

WEB WATCH
The following is a list of new or updated industry Web sites. E-mail jdorsch@pctonline.com with new sites.

• New Bell Laboratories Site — www.belllabs.com

• RISE West Nile Virus/Encephalitis Site — www.pestfacts.org/media