Community urges California officials to specify locations in pesticide notification system

Residents from farmworker communities throughout the state crowded a public hearing in Turlock on Friday to demand that the proposed agricultural pesticide notification system specify the precise locations of planned applications.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) recently unveiled an updated draft regulation for an advance notification system when pesticides that are classified as restricted materials are sprayed. These pesticides are deemed the most hazardous and prone to drifting, requiring handlers to secure a use permit before application.

“What kind of a public health warning system hides the threat?” said Bianca Lopez, co-founder of the environmental justice nonprofit Valley Improvement Projects. “DPR tried this approach with a small notification pilot in Stanislaus County a year ago, so we know it doesn’t work. People want to know what’s being sprayed next door, not a mile away.”

The revised draft regulation details how and when notifications will be made, including the communication methods and what information will be shared. It aims to inform the public about the specific one square mile where pesticide applications are planned.

DPR also will review and report on the system three years after the regulation is implemented.

During the Turlock public hearing, advocates called for the proposed notification rule to specify the exact locations of pesticide application, rather than just providing a general one-square-mile area. They argued that this precision is essential to enable schools, daycare centers and residents to take necessary precautions and minimize exposure risks.

Although growers and applicators are legally obligated to disclose the precise locations of restricted pesticide applications to agricultural authorities, the proposed pesticide notification system would still withhold this information from the public.

Community members contend that this lack of transparency is troubling because it diminishes the public’s ability to understand potential environmental and health hazards in their communities.

A recent meta-review that assessed six studies showed that all six “found that the greater the distance [from the pesticide application], the lower the levels in pesticide concentrations in dust, outdoor and indoor air.”

Growers have argued in the past that revealing specific locations could threaten their privacy and attract protesters intent on disrupting pesticide applications. Advocates, however, insist that concealing this information lacks justification because county officials already possess precise location data.

“Science confirms what we already know, that we should worry more about pesticide use right next door than applications that are a mile away,” said Angel Garcia, co-director of Californians for Pesticide Reform.

During a Zoom public hearing on Monday, residents from various parts of the state echoed similar concerns regarding the absence of precise location details and the risks associated with pesticide drift.

“You guys were given $10 million with this notification system, so I urge you to do it correctly and effectively,” said Jocelyn Lucas, a high school student from Oxnard.

DPR is collecting public comment on the draft proposal until Aug. 1. Residents can share comments online through the department’s public comment portal , by mail or provided by email to dpr23003@cdpr.ca.gov .

They will hold their next and final hearing in Kern County on July 23 at 6 p.m.

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