Proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) changes to pesticide applicator training requirements appear to be an attempt to institute "one-size-fits-all" national regulations that would raise costs for farmers, create impractical burdens on pesticide applicators and hurt highly-recognized state programs, like the one in Iowa, without improving user safety or public health, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) said.

"Farm Bureau policy supports periodic upgrading of federal and state pesticide applicator training to ensure a sound and...