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State is interested in developing insect and disease forecasting and monitoring techniques; these 

 include counting insects and the use of weather-based data to predict the occurrence of plant 

 pathogens in food crops. Finally, Penn State is studying pest resistance in apples in a cooperative 

 project with the University of Vermont and four or five other states to study how to increase 

 resistance in host or crop plants through selective breeding. 



Comprehensive Slate Ground Water Protection Program — Since 1984, EPA has encouraged states to 

 develop state ground water protection strategies and programs, and supported the states' efforts with 

 technical and financial assistance. In 1989, EPA established a high-level Ground-Water Task Force to 

 'develop a strategy for the direction EPA will take in ground-water protection." The task force released 

 its final report that sets forth a new strategy to ensure comprehensive protection of the nation's ground 

 water resources. A key component of this strategy is to actively involve state officials in developing and 

 implementing Comprehensive State Ground Water Protection Programs (CSGWPPs). EPA will promote 

 the development of CSGWPPs through technical and financial assistance to the states. To the extent 

 authorized by federal statute and consistent with federal program objectives, EPA will defer to state 

 policies, priorities, and standards once the agency recognizes that a state has developed a comprehensive 

 protection program. 



Wellhead Protection Programs — The Safe Drinking Water Act requires each state to prepare a Wellhead 

 Protection (WHP) Program to protect public water supply wells firom all potential sources of 

 contamination. In many instances, regional agencies and local governments have taken the initiative in 

 pursuing WHP. As of September 30, 1992, EPA has approved 25 state WHP programs. Some states 

 are developing measures to deal with agricultural sources within WHP areas. In Florida, regulation of 

 pesticide use within WHP areas is awaiting modeling of pesticide behavior in soil and water for selected 

 restricted-use pesticides. Also, efforts to develop policy or regulations for governing nutrient discharges 

 to ground water have begun. The 1990 Farm Bill includes a provision to make cropland within WHP 

 areas eligible for inclusion in the WQIP and the CRP. 



Drinking Water Program Implementation — The Safe Drinking Water Act directs EPA to establish 

 minimum national drinking water standards which set legally enforceable limits on the amounts of 

 potentially hannftil substances, including some pesticides and nitrate, in drinking water. Under Congress' 

 direction, EPA has granted, since 1974, primary enforcement authority to fifty states and four territories. 



Pesticide Management Plans — Because of site-specific differences in ground water sensitivity and 

 pesticide usage, EPA believes that states are in the best position to tailor pesticide prevention management 

 measures to local conditions. Under the Agency's pesticide and Ground Water Strategy released in 1991, 

 states implement State Pesticide Management Plans (SMPs). In line with this approach, EPA is providing 

 funding and guidance to states to assist them in developing generic SMPs, and in building the state's 

 capacity to evaluate such factors as ground water vulnerability, monitoring data, and how and where the 

 pesticide of concern may be used. 



The ground water strategy explains that under FIFRA, EPA may require states to develop chemical- 

 specific SMPs for a particular pesticide of concern as a condition of continued use of that pesticide. The 

 SMPs may vary widely from state to state, depending on a state's ground water sensitivity assessments, 

 the level of pesticide usage in the state, and the state's ground water protection philosophy. The SMPs 

 must include several components, including discussion of roles and responsibilities, legal authorities, 

 prevention actions, available resources, monitoring, enforcement, and response detections. 



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