Public health continues to be front and center with the COVID-19 pandemic. This is especially relevant for all of us focused on pesticide safety as public health is a major part of our work every day. Given the uncertainty that continues around this pandemic, Michigan State University (MSU), along with the Migrant Clinicians Network and the National Pesticide Safety Education Center as grant subawards and in consultation with the EPA decided to postpone the 2020 Pesticide Applicator Certification & Training (PACT) meeting until summer of 2021.
The health and safety of PACT attendees is a priority for all of us and several other logistical factors would create difficult issues for PACT attendees. Just recently MSU Extension announced that extension employees must not plan any in-person group meetings or events for adults intended to take place prior to September 1, 2020. We know that other universities, state and federal government agencies, and other organizations continue to extend their various travel restrictions and are not processing any routine travel authorizations at this time. We are currently working to reschedule the PACT meeting at the same venue in Denver, CO and will share the confirmed dates for 2021 as soon as they are available.

Moving Forward: The PACT Planning Committee did a great job developing a comprehensive and engaging agenda pactmeeting.us. Several topics are extremely timely to COVID-19 and need to be addressed as soon as possible. Other topics are important for stakeholders to enhance their professional development and knowledge about pesticide safety and WPS. As part of the EPA – MSU Cooperative Agreement we will be delivering a series of webinars based on PACT topics starting in early to mid-summer 2020 and continuing monthly leading up to PACT 2021. This provides a unique opportunity for stakeholders to gain knowledge and benefit from the robust agenda developed by the Planning Committee. You’ll be able to experience many of the 2020 PACT topics virtually as a lead-in to PACT 2021!

More information will be posted on the PACT website pactmeeting.us after the PACT Planning Committee meeting on May 14, 2020.

VIEW THE PLANNING COMMITTEE’S BIOS HERE