The USDA Federal Pesticide Recordkeeping Program will initiate restricted use pesticide (RUP) record inspections in early June. Five counties were selected for the inspections: Suffolk, Wayne, Orleans, Genessee and Monroe.

Forty certified private applicators were randomly selected from each county. Certified private applicators are required to show RUP records to credentialed Federal inspectors upon request, failure to do so can result in a civil penalty. The Federal inspectors are trained to offer compliance assistance to a private applicator that does not have adequate or complete records.

Penalties will not be issued on the first inspection and applicators are given time to come into compliance before another inspection, usually within a year of the first inspection. If farmers have any questions regarding the inspection process, they should contact the USDA Pesticide Records Branch at 703-330- 7826.