The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) gives EPA the authority to regulate the registration, distribution, sale and use of pesticides.  FIFRA applies to all types of pesticides, including:

• insecticides,
• herbicides,
• fungicides,
• rodenticides,
• antimicrobials, and
• devices

and extends to both intrastate and interstate commerce.

Individuals applying pesticides must do so in a manner not only consistent with federal laws, but also consistent with state and tribal laws and regulations, which may differ across the country. In general, states have primary authority within the state for compliance monitoring and enforcement against the use of pesticides in violation of labeling requirements. Compliance activities encompass the use of all of the tools available to make a compliance determination, ranging, for example, from off-site record reviews to on-site inspections as well as providing assistance to enhance compliance with the regulations promulgated under FIFRA.

Compliance monitoring activities include:

• Inspecting pesticide-producing establishments, retailers, applicators, farms, and other sites
• Conducting inspections to determine compliance with the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) Program
• Gathering important data through registering pesticide producing establishments
• Overseeing pesticide imports to and exports from the United States
• Inspecting laboratories under the Good Laboratory Practices Standards compliance monitoring program to ensure the quality and integrity of test data submitted to EPA in support of a pesticide product registration under FIFRA.