National Pesticide Information Center
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The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) is a collaboration between Oregon State University and the United States Environmental Protection Agency to provide objective, science-based information about pesticides, the recognition and management of pesticide poisonings, toxicology and environmental chemistry. It is funded through a cooperative agreement that is competitively awarded to an eligible applicant every 3–5 years. It was previously known as the National Pesticide Telecommunication Network.[1]
History
The program was first established in 1978 as a toll free telephone service at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center[2] to assist medical professionals with the recognition and management of pesticide poisonings. The service was later expanded to the general public.[3]
In the mid 1980s the NPIC moved to Texas Tech University and became the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network.[2] In 1995 the program was moved to Oregon State University (OSU) and the name was later changed to the National Pesticide Information Center in 2001.[citation needed]
Highlights
Incident Reporting
The National Pesticide Information Center does not have regulatory authority in relation to pesticides.[10] Pesticide regulatory agencies[11] in many states are delegated primary enforcement responsibilities for pesticide violations by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.[12] However, in addition to being reported to state regulators, pesticide incidents involving people, pets, wildlife (including bees), or the environment can be reported to the NPIC.[13]
Incident reports collected by the NPIC, which exclude personally identifiable information, are provided to the U.S. EPA through scheduled reporting and by request from U.S. EPA and partner agencies. A veterinary incident reporting portal[14] is also available to professional veterinary staff seeking to report a pesticide incident involving an animal.[15]