State’s Pesticide Law Enforcers Encouraged by Latest Air Monitoring Report
The association representing California’s Agricultural Commissioners who enforce pesticide regulations throughout the state is encouraged by a new air monitoring report issued by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) which found no detectable pesticides in 95 percent of air samples collected.
“California Agricultural Commissioners work closely with our state agency partner at CDPR to enforce the most stringent and comprehensive pesticide regulations in the country, if not the world,” said Lindsey Carter, Executive Director of the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association (CACASA). “This data is a great indication these laws are working to protect people and the environment in and around farming communities.”
“Monitoring the air in communities with high pesticide use is critical to keeping California safe for everyone,” said DPR Director Julie Henderson in a press release. “I am encouraged to see that all of the 2023 pesticide concentrations fall below our health screening levels.”
Importantly, CDPR notes in its release that screening levels are developed through scientific evaluation to conservatively estimate when a pesticide air concentration may have any impact on human health.
Carter noted that CACASA expects that pesticide detections in air will continue to decrease as several new regulations were put into place in January 2024 including laws to further restrict the use of the soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene.
“California is by far the most highly regulated state in the nation when it comes to the use of pesticides by farmers and commercial applicators,” said Cartner noting that Ag Commissioners in each California county are charged with enforcement of pesticide regulations. “As part of our work to ensure pesticide regulations are being followed, Ag Commissioners conduct regular, unannounced inspections of farm and commercial residential applicator activities in our counties. This includes inspectors patrolling farming areas looking for pesticide applications in process and investigating to make sure all regulations are being followed.”
Carter noted that data gathered from the thousands of inspections that take place across the state, indicate there is a very high compliance rate with pesticide regulations among farmers and commercial applicators.
“Californians should feel confident that they are being protected from exposure to pesticides through the stringent regulations put forth by CDPR, the Ag Commissioner system that enforces these laws and comprehensive monitoring to ensure these regulations are working,” said Carter. “The effectiveness of California’s existing pesticide policy is often overlooked as we continually strive to make improvements.”