The Pesticide Industry Regulatory Council, (PIRC) was established in 1996 to provide Ontario stakeholders an industry independently administered alternative educational process in cooperation with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE).

The promises, commitments, and agreements made by the government and MOE Standards Development Branch (SDB) administrators to the PIRC Chair / OIPMA Executive Director, Gary VanderHeide were published by the MOE online between 2001and early 2006 at its archived SWAT Site read as follows: "The Ministry of the Environment has a Memorandum of Understanding to allow the two councils to administer licencing and certification for Exterminators and Technicians." 

Our organizations most important responsibility is through education to ensure the safety of our applicator members and the public. To that end during the past decade the PIRC chair and OIPMA Executive Director have worked closely with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE), which Ministry exclusively regulates the post registration sale and use of all federally approved pesticides in this province. MOE sets the training, certification, and Permit requirements, including the exemptions from training granted the public and retail limited vendors for every product sold and used in Ontario. This is accomplished under authority of the Pesticides Act and its Regulation 63/09 (formerly Regulation 914).

Under a tripartite signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the MOE, the PIRC administered by OIPMA administers and independently delivers legislated education to meet the requirements of the Pesticides Act. Gary VanderHeide, also serves as Ontario training coordinator for the PIRC and its affiliated Integrated Pest Management Environmental Health Care Council of Ontario (IPM-EHC Council).

The PIRC and OIPMA working together provides stakeholders all inclusive free PTP and IPM Accreditation process as a formal OIPMA member in good standing. We provide toll free access at 1-800-615-9813 to a knowledgeable licensed professional that can assist you in respect to questions regarding Regulation 63/09, the Pesticide Technician Program (PTP), or our company IPM Accreditation program.

Working closely with small business pesticide applicators and operators we maintain the independent IPM industry affordably and credibly, knowledgeably updated in regulatory issues, sustainable IPM technology, and least risk pesticides. We provide our formal members meaningful ongoing support including home study assistance, distance education, online, attendance, oral and written examinations.

MOE Educational Agreement with PIRC. Learn the background and fundamental principles of the government promises, commitments, and agreements made to the PIRC administered by the OIPMA ,(formally OPPAA with same members), negotiated by Gord Miller, now the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario ("ECO") in his than capacity as the MOU facilitator / coordinator for all parties. Read more

Gord Miller Established The Foundation Blocks for the Industry Educational Agreement accepted by all parties.

Gord Miller established the fundamental principles of independent educational delivery on behalf of all parties. The purpose was to ensure PIRC economic stability and to allow affiliated individual members to make long term economic investments for an affordable and workable Technician and Licensed Exterminator Recertification process on a fair cost recovery basis that included other educational services in support of those services being outside the MOU. This to assist small business credibly, cost effectively, and affordably meet future regulation requirements under the Pesticides Act.  The tripartite PTP MOU signed by the MOE, PIRC, and PIC on April 28, 1999 represents in part the PIRC educational agreement with the MOE in respect to recertification, commonly called IPM accreditation. The industry PTP agreement took an additional three years of SDB negotiations after the government ordered new stakeholder meetings held in March and April 1996.

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