The American Samoa Community College (ASCC) - Agriculture, Community and Natural Resources (ACNR) Division’s Agriculture Extension Program (AEP) in partnership with the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) hosted a three day training conducted by collaborative efforts of Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of Arizona (UA) Extension Programs. The training provided a comprehensive overview of pesticide safety and workers protection.

“Pesticide safety education is critical to mitigating pesticide resistance, reducing improper use and harmful exposure of pesticides, protecting the environment and overall health of the people in American Samoa”, said AEP Manager Autagavaia Tunai Alfred Peters.

Topics covered in the training included pesticide registration, federal laws, risk mitigations, worker protection standards, safety techniques and tools, pest management, and pesticide resistance and prevention. The training also included hands-on demonstrations for pesticide calibration and application and field trips to vegetable farms.

The off island team consisted of Tom Smith, an Extension Specialist in Agriculture and Agribusiness at MSU; Jennifer Weber, the UA Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator; Mike Cameron, multimedia specialist from the National Pesticide Safety Education Center (NPSEC) and Blink Multimedia; Courtney Weatherbee, Administrative Assistant from MSU; and Sasha Mizenin, Project Officer from the US-EPA Region 9. Representatives from the local Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, and ASEPA with farm managers and ASCC-ACNR Extension agents were in attendance of the training. ASCC-ACNR Director Aufa’i Apulu Ropeti Areta and ASEPA Director Lefega Fa’amao Asalele provided the opening remarks for the training.

“It was truly a rewarding experience and an honor for our entire team supported by US-EPA Region 9 to develop and deliver this important pesticide safety training,” said Smith. “We were all impressed to see the interagency engagement and commitment to future collaboration. The American Samoa Community College provided a wonderful venue for this training and our colleagues could not have been better hosts! I look forward continuing to assist with the ongoing pesticide safety efforts in American Samoa as part of the US-EPA cooperative agreement with Michigan State University”.

Every three months, ASCC-ACNR hosts a free quarterly Pesticide Applicator Safety Certification Training. If you are using farm pesticides or are planning to use chemicals in the near future, these trainings are a good opportunity to learn about the safe usage of these chemicals. For more information on the pesticide applicator-training program contact the ASCC-ACNR Agriculture Extension Program at 699-1575, ext. 240.