EPA Rule Resets Exclusion Zone for Pesticide Applications

A final rule published by EPA in the Federal Register Oct. 4 restores requirements related to the application exclusion zone, or AEZ, under the agency’s Agricultural Worker Protection Standard. The AEZ is an area that workers and bystanders are prohibited from entering while pesticides are being applied. AEZ requirements were originally set in 2015 and revised substantially in 2020, when the size of the AEZ was limited to 25 feet for some applications.

The new rule reinstates AEZ provisions from the 2015 rule, reestablishing the AEZ as an area extending 100 feet from pesticide application equipment. If an individual enters the AEZ during application of pesticides, the rule requires the application to be suspended. The AEZ moves with the equipment, can extend into neighboring properties, and exists only during the application.

The new rule goes into effect Dec. 4. For more information, refer to EPA’s press release and the text of the rule in the Federal Register.