PA Dept. of Agriculture Issues Basic Biosecurity Standard Operating Procedures

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) issued new standard operating procedures to help define basic biosecurity procedures that all PDA employees must follow when they visit agricultural sites.  According to the standard operating procedures, under Act 125 of 2010, PDA employees could face trespass charges and be responsible for any economic damages the producer incurs due to the PDA employee’s failure to observe posted biosecurity measures.

The new standard operating procedures issued by the PDA must be followed by all PDA employees when entering and during the duration of the employee’s visit to any agricultural biosecurity area which does not have posted biosecurity measures in place.  Landowners wishing to implement additional, or different, biosecurity protective measures than required by the PDA’s standard operating procedures may self-define what protective measures are required for entry into their agricultural biosecurity areas.  The PDA’s standard operating procedures do not supersede an individual landowner’s desired biosecurity protective measures, so long as the landowner’s protective measures are reasonable.

To view the PDA’s Standard Operating Procedures for Biosecurity at Agricultural Sites, please click here.
 

Written By Gaby Gilbeau – Research Assistant

The Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center
 

July 23, 2013