The PSUR Database Group was assembled in response to the Pesticide Reporting Law of 1996. The law mandated that Cornell University work in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to develop a database to store the reported pesticide data. The group is responsible for the processing, management and manipulation of all pesticide data beginning with the receipt of the electronic files from the data entry vendor and ending with the delivery of the pesticide reports to the Department.
For questions regarding the use of pesticides, please contact the Pesticide Management Education Program's Webmaster by email, or by calling (607)-255-1866. For New York State, a list of county extension offices is available from Cornell Cooperative Extension.
The members of the group bring a diversity of pesticide expertise, programming, database, and platform backgrounds to the database development effort. The group members and their roles are:
- Chet Brion - Database and System Administrator/Programmer
- David Lane - Programmer/Analyst
- Thornton Martin - Network Administrator
- Art Samplaski - IT Support Assistant
- Frank Smith - Systems Programmer/Analyst
- William Smith - Project Leader
- Robert Warfield - Assistant Project Leader/Analyst
The following objectives for developing and maintaining the database will be undertaken by the Pesticide Management Education Program (PMEP) at Cornell:
- Work closely with DEC on the continued design, implementation
and refinement of a pesticides sales and use computerized database
system (DBS) for pesticide use information submitted on
reporting forms. This system will utilize a data entry firm contracted
by DEC. Develop and maintain related databases, such as the pesticide
report-tracking database, that the DEC needs to fulfill the requirements
of the Pesticide Reporting Law. Reports for each available year are available
by clicking on the appropriate links on the
Product-Based Reports page. The formal
reports submitted to the state legislature are available here:
• Pesticide Annual Reports Submitted to the NYS Legislature
To check whether your annual report has been logged by the NYSDEC for the current reporting year, click the following link:
• Reports Logged for Current Reporting Year
The pesticide reporting forms for the current reporting year can be downloaded by clicking on the following link:
• Pesticide Reporting Forms
Guidelines for electronic submission of pesticide reports are available from the following link:
• Electronic Reporting Guidelines
An overview of the steps in the pesticide sales and use database workflow is available at the following link:
• Data Processing Workflow Overview
- Work closely with DEC on the continued design, implementation
and refinement of a pesticide sales and use DBS for pesticide use
information submitted electronically. Also, provide a service bureau
environment for those requiring assistance with electronic reporting.
- Provide technical expertise to DEC and act in an advisory capacity
relating to the development, implementation, and refinement of
the DBS and related information systems. Assist DEC
in reviewing/evaluating contracts, requests for proposals, etc.,
relating to the development of the DBS and related information
systems (i.e., ParTest/ParScore).
- Work with the data entry vendor to load each year's report data
into the DBS. Cornell will validate the report data in accordance
with DEC's requirements. Cornell will produce all the data summaries
required by the legislation and any additional statistical
summaries requested by DEC.
- The DBS is dependent on related pesticide information from other
satellite computer systems. Cornell will work closely with DEC in
designing/redesigning, developing, and implementing these satellite
data bases (business registration, certification, recertification
course calendar, commercial permits, product registration/label
images, enforcement, and a pesticide reporting interface with the
certification system) as a function of the DBS. The systems will be
redesigned to better accommodate the administrative and regulatory
activities of DEC and to improve the quality of the data stored. The
improvements will enhance DEC's and Cornell's ability to make use of
these information resources. Cornell will develop mechanisms for DEC
regional access to subsets of the satellite databases when requested to
do so. Access will include internal DEC and Cornell's use and management
of the information/data so that confidentiality is maintained.
To date, the following satellite computer systems databases have been developed and implemented as a result of the Pesticide Reporting Law:
- Maintain and enhance on-line mechanisms available through the
program's website for querying of pesticide use information, product
registration data, certification information, etc., by DEC, the New York
State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Cornell, qualified researchers, and
the public, as mandated by the pesticide reporting legislation.
- Provide/assist DEC with requests for pesticide reporting data from
entities such as DEC, NYSDOH, the Health Research Science Board (within
NYSDOH), the New York State legislature, other state and federal agencies,
and the public.
- Develop and maintain a database of pesticide product label images. This
database will enable DEC to retrieve label images on-line and thus improve
their product registration review capability. Cornell will scan and load
newly registered label images into the database on a regular basis. Cornell
will develop a mechanism for DEC regional staff and members of the public
to access the label images via the Internet. Access to label information
will be contingent on DEC's approval.
- Convert the annual pesticide reporting data (volume and weight) into "pounds per active ingredient" amount(s) and provide data summaries as requested by DEC. Cornell will provide a mechanism to access the active ingredient data via the Internet.