Jack Thrasher, Ph.D., Technical Director of the National Toxic Encephalopathy Foundation (NTEF) today announced a partnership between the Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “School IPM (Integrated Pest Management) 2015” program.
The EPA’s National Pesticides and Schools Coordinator, for the “Pest Management Strategic Plan” is Mrs. Sherry Glick who has been with the EPA for almost 30 years. She currently works in the Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (BPPD) in the Office of Pesticide Programs. She was instrumental in the development of this program and her name is synonymous with IPM.
Dr. Thrasher said, “I am excited about this new collaboration with Sherry. Her background both personally and professionally fits in with the mission of our organization. The collaboration between Mrs. Glick and NTEF will assure that our mutual interest in safer schools for the children of Nevada will come to fruition. Mrs. Glick’s knowledge of the EPA regulatory issues regarding pesticides and their potential human health effects will be paramount to the success of our endeavors in IPM.”
The NTEF was successful in convincing the Clark County Nevada School District, 5th largest in the United States, to implement a pilot program to compare and contrast the effectiveness of IPM vs. chemically based pest control.
Mrs. Glick states “The US EPA fully supports and recommends that schools use IPM to reduce pesticide risk and exposure to children. IPM is a safer, and usually less costly option for effective pest management in a school community. Kids spend much of their day in a school environment. IPM provides them with a safer learning environment. We invite parents, teachers, staff and others to join us together as we move forward in implementing school IPM by 2015. "
