The California Department of Pesticide Regulation released revised proposed regulations on March 16 for the use of agricultural pesticides near school sites and day care facilities.
The department issued its initial regulations proposal in September 2016, aiming to give extra protection to schools and daycare facilities against the risk of short-term pesticide exposure. The most recent version of the proposed rules gives growers more wiggle room in terms of communication with school and daycare administrators and the definition of “school site.”
Growers would be required to provide annual notification to school sites and licensed day care facilities of the pesticides they expect to apply within a quarter mile of those sites. (Previously, growers would have been required to notify those site administrators of pesticide applications at least 48 hours before they occur.)
The definition of “school site” does not include school buses or vehicles not on school property. The agricultural commissioner may identify an adjacent park as part of a school site if schools use the park regularly.
The new regulations are expected to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.
Otherwise, the proposed rules would prohibit pesticide applications within a quarter-mile of public kindergarten through 12th grade schools between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, and growers’ notification of anticipated pesticide applications in those zones must include the names of each pesticide product and its main active ingredient.
The Department of Pesticide Regulation is accepting public comment on the revised proposed regulations until April 4, 2017.
This article appears in Mar 23-30, 2017.