The laboratory is advised by a board appointed by the dean of the Washington State University college of agriculture and home economics. The dean shall cooperate with appropriate officials in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon in selecting board members.
(1) The board shall consist of one representative from each of the following interests: A human toxicologist or a health professional knowledgeable in worker exposure to pesticides, the Washington State University vice provost for research or research administrator, representatives from the state department of agriculture, the department of ecology, the department of health, the department of labor and industries, privately owned Washington pesticide analytical laboratories, federal regional pesticide laboratories, an Idaho and Oregon laboratory, whether state, university, or private, a chemical and fertilizer industry representative, farm organizations, food processors, marketers, farm labor, environmental organizations, and consumers. Each board member shall serve a three-year term. The members of the board shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred while engaged in the business of the board as provided in RCW
43.03.050 and
43.03.060.
(2) The board is in liaison with the pesticide incident reporting and tracking panel and shall review the chemicals investigated by the laboratory according to the following criteria:
(a) Chemical uses for which a database exists on environmental fate and acute toxicology, and that appear safer environmentally than pesticides available on the market;
(b) Chemical uses not currently under evaluation by public laboratories in Idaho or Oregon for use on Washington crops;
(c) Chemicals that have lost or may lose their registration and that no reasonably viable alternatives for Washington crops are known; and
(d) Other chemicals vital to Washington agriculture.
(3) The laboratory shall conduct research activities using approved good laboratory practices, namely procedures and recordkeeping required of the national IR-4 minor use pesticide registration program.
(4) The laboratory shall coordinate activities with the national IR-4 program.