Crop Protection Issues in the News

• California grants will promote environmentally sensitive approaches to IPM — The U.S. EPA is awarding grants totaling nearly $1 million nationwide to fund five innovative projects that will use integrated pest management approaches aimed at successfully reducing pesticide risk. <more> December 4, 2008 EPA Press Release



• California DPR sees opportunity to clear the air — A recent appellate court ruling reaffirmed that the state Department of Pesticide Regulation appropriately met its legal commitment to help clean the air. <more> August 28, 2008 Western Farm Press



• Valley growers, UC advisers discuss almonds, pests, water — With the Panoche Hills wrapped in haze not far away, the almond orchard near Firebaugh offered welcome respite from the sun this week as 60 growers and pest-control advisers exchanged information on challenges they face. <more> June 28, 2008 Fresno Bee



• Fumigant rules may tighten. Organic compound numbers higher than first estimated — San Joaquin Valley growers will have to do more than limit field fumigant use to meet air quality standards for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 2009. <more> June 2, 2008 Capital Press



• New alternaria fungicide gets California Section 18 for almonds — The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has granted Section 18 emergency exemption approval of Inspire fungicide from Syngenta for use on Alternaria in almond orchards. <more> June 2, 2008 Western Farm Press



• USDA to end surveys of farm pesticide usage — <more> May 25, 2008 Sacramento Bee



• Government sued after approving 4 pesticides — Environmental and farmworker advocates have sued the Bush administration for allowing the continued use of four pesticides, saying the government brushed aside its own findings that the chemicals are dangerous to workers, children and wildlife. <more> April 10, 2008 San Francisco Chronicle



• Court decides farmers may continue using methyl bromide — A federal court is easing California farmers' continued access to the powerful but dangerous pesticide methyl bromide despite international plans to phase out the chemical. <more> January 25, 2008 Fresno Bee



• Pesticide use declined in 2006, reports DPR — The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today reported 2006 pesticide use statistics that showed continued progress toward safer, less toxic pest management. <more> November 29, 2007 DPR Press Release



• Grower input is critical on proposed new soil fumigant restrictions — Proposed new state and federal regulations could have immediate and far-reaching effects on how and to what extent preplant soil fumigants are used in almonds and other California crops. <more> October 12, 2007 Western Farm Press



• New Lab Methods Speed Testing of Fumigant Emissions — A simpler, quicker way to track pesticide emissions from agricultural fields has been devised by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. <more> October 4, 2007 ARS Press Release



• Commentary: Legislation results in expanding options for pest management — Thanks to a law enacted by Gov. Schwarzenegger, the Department of Pesticide Regulation's registration process is introducing new, more nature-friendly products that benefit both the environment and the farm community. <more> August 27, 2007 AgAlert



• DPR has little choice but to move ahead with fumigant reductions — The debate swirling around California’s plans to limit the amount of fumigants used on farm fields continues to gain momentum, with industry experts arguing that reductions will make little difference to the state’s air quality. State officials are countering that they are under court order to make it happen by the end of this year. <more> August 24, 2007 Western Farm Press



• Pyrethroid reevaluation will reach far beyond California — Fair warning American agriculture: When California leads, the nation bleeds. Golden State regulators are in the beginning stages of the most extensive pesticide reevaluation in the state’s history. It focuses on widely used pyrethroid pesticides. <more> August 23, 2007 Western Farm Press



• Methyl Bromide Controversy Reveals the Politics of Pesticides — Shoppers rifle through store shelves brimming with succulent tomatoes and plump strawberries, hoping to enjoy one last round of fresh fruit before the Western growing season ends. There is no hint of a dark side to the blaze of red. Strawberries are a painful subject for Guillermo Ruiz. The farm worker believes his headaches, confusion and vision trouble stem from a decade working in the fields with methyl bromide, a pesticide that protects the berries with stunning efficiency. Cheri Alderman, a teacher whose classroom borders a farm, fears her students could inhale a dangerous whiff of the fumigant as it drifts from the adjacent strawberry field. "A little dribble of poison is still poison," she says. <more> December 28, 2005 Associated Press



• EPA addressing spray drift pesticide issues — The issue of pesticide spray drift is expected to generate “a lot of discussion” between the Environmental Protection Agency and agricultural interests during 2006, says Jon Scholl, the agency’s counselor for agricultural policy. There will be “a lot of public meetings that will offer opportunities for everyone to be involved,” he told members of the Southern Crop Production Association at their annual conference at Orlando, Fla. <more> December 7, 2005 Delta Farm Press



• Almond growers rely on pest control advisers for integrated pest management — Results of a comprehensive survey by the UC Statewide IPM Program and the Almond Pest Management of full-time almond growers in the three primary almond-producing regions of California show that growers rely substantially on pest control advisers (PCAs) for pest management decision-making. The study, published in the October-December 2005 edition of California Agriculture, says independent PCAs communicated more frequently with growers than PCAs who are employed by agricultural product suppliers. Growers who use independent PCAs tend to feel more knowledgeable about integrated pest management (IPM) and report the use of more complex pest-monitoring techniques and control practices. The use of insecticide sprays, however, is independent of the type of PCA employed, and the percentage of growers using them has declined substantially since a 1985 survey. Almond growers with independent PCAs did not use fewer insecticides than those with supplier-affiliated PCAs, but were more likely to follow IPM advice. <more> October 27, 2005 California Agriculture



• Pesticide Case Is Upping the Ante. A poisoning trial pitting two brothers comes as farm activists, regulators seek stricter controls — The March 2004 poisoning of a Oakdale farmworker has triggered California's first criminal prosecution in a pesticide-related matter in 14 years. Trial is scheduled to begin next month against Oakdale ranch manager John Becerra — the injured worker's brother — and Jon Hoff, a co-owner of Golden West Nuts, whose offices and processing plant are in nearby Ripon. The case comes as regulators and farmworker advocates press for stricter and more consistent pesticide enforcement. <more> October 10, 2005 Los Angeles Times



• Farmers phasing out methyl bromide — An international agreement to cut back on ozone-destroying chemicals is pushing growers in San Diego County and the rest of the state away from the most prominent tool in a fumigator's kit: methyl bromide. While that's good news for the ozone layer, some public health advocates are watching the switch with dismay because two chemicals that farmers are substituting are linked to short- and long-term health risks. Use of one chemical may be tightened by the federal Environmental Protection Agency in the next few years because of its acute toxicity. <more> September 18, 2005 North Coast Times



• Pesticide bill loses steam after key support falters — Legislation to strengthen penalties for breaking California's pesticide laws was dealt a serious setback Tuesday during a dramatic committee hearing in which a former supporter of the measure abandoned it. The bill would have limited the power of county agriculture commissioners, who are chiefly responsible for enforcing pesticide laws, to let off violators with little or no fines. <more> September 7, 2005 Stockton Record



• Lax ag safety may hit wallets. Some say growers are not penalized enough after breaking pesticide rule — Lax ag safety may hit wallets. Some say growers are not penalized enough after breaking pesticide rule - - The hose Arturo Becerra used to fumigate an Oakdale almond orchard in March 2004 was kinked and brittle. It broke, spraying him in the face with the toxic gas methyl bromide, according to state regulators. <more> August 28, 2005 Modesto Bee

• Methyl bromide phase-out subject of Montreal conference — The 189 member governments of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer will decide this week on how best to manage the phase-out of methyl bromide, an effective fumigant and pesticide for strawberries, flowers and other high-value crops that also damages the Earth’s protective ozone shield. <more> June 30, 2005 United Nations press release
  
  

• California Almond Industry Embraces Reduced Risk Compounds — No matter how you measure it, the improvements are dramatic.  On a per-acre basis or total used, the California almond industry is reducing the use of chemicals on their crops to create a healthier environment. Trends over the last ten years compiled from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) pesticide use reports confirm that the almond industry is embracing reduced risk orchard management.  <more> June 14, 2005 Almond Board of California press release
  
  

• New Test on Tap for Detecting Pesticide-Resistant Mites — Commercial apiarists and state bee inspectors now have a fast new way to check Varroa mites for this honeybee parasite's resistance to the pesticides coumaphos and fluvalinate. <more> April 15, 2005 USDA Agriculture Research Service
  
  

• House Ag Subcommittee reviews methyl bromide critical use exemption process —  Congressman Frank Lucas, R-OK, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development, and Research, chaired a hearing today to review the methyl bromide (MeBr) Critical Use Exemption (CUE) process under the Montreal Protocol.  The Subcommittee heard testimony from two panels of witnesses including Claudia McMurray, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of State. <more> March 10, 2005 House Ag Committee press release.
  
  

• Methyl bromide focus of House hearing March 10 — The Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development, and Research will hold a hearing March 10  to review the Methyl Bromide Critical Use Exemption (CUE) process under the Montreal Protocol.<more> March 8, 2005 House Ag Committee press release.
  
  

• Winter sanitizing keeps almonds safe from pest — In military parlance, the slogan for a winter cleanup program in Kern County orchards might be "no almond left behind." That's because so-called mummy almonds — the ones left on trees after harvest — are breeding grounds for a pest that could wreak havoc on next season's crops. The pest is the navel orangeworm, so named because it was first found on navel orange trees. But the worms have also taken a fancy to almonds, Kern's second most valuable crop in 2003 at $280 million. <more> Jan. 28, 2005 Bakersfield Californian
  
  

• Environmentally responsible pest management practices in almonds highlighted at series of grower meetings — A new publication by the University of California highlighting environmentally responsible pest management practices in almonds has been highlighted at a series of almond grower meetings held throughout California in the past few months. A meeting held in Modesto Jan. 26 wrapped up the current series of meetings sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension. Other session were held Jan. 6 in Chico and Dec. 7 in Bakersfield.<more> Jan. 26, 2005
  
  

• DPR releases 2003 pesticide use data; Director emphasizes reduced-risk strategy — The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today reported a small increase in commercial pesticide use during 2003, compared to 2002. A DPR analysis linked the increase primarily to wet, cool spring weather that caused more disease problems. <more> Jan. 26, 2005 DPR news release
  
  

• State accused of failing to study pesticides. Activists' lawsuit alleges the regulation department is coming up short. — For two decades, the state failed to fully investigate toxic pesticides that are capable of causing birth defects and cancer, a new activist lawsuit alleges.<more> Jan. 20, 2005 Fresno Bee
  
  

• EPA amends methyl bromide phase-out for 2005 critical uses — EPA is amending regulations governing the phase-out and allocation of the ozone-depleting fumigant, methyl bromide (MeBr).  Today’s action amends the MeBr phase-out regulations to allow for an exemption for new production and import to meet the needs of remaining critical uses, for which there are currently no technically and economically feasible alternatives.  The amendment will make approximately 35 percent of the United State’s baseline available for critical uses in 2005.  This 35 percent is 8,942 metric tonnes of the 25,528 metric tonnes used in 1991 and established by international treaty as the U.S. baseline by which reductions are measured. <more> Dec. 16, 2004 EPA press release.
  
  

• Environmentally responsible pest management practices in almonds to be highlighted at Jan. 6, 2005 Chico meeting — A new publication by the University of California highlighting environmentally responsible pest management practices in almonds will be discussed Thursday, Jan. 6, 2005 at an almond grower meeting in Chico sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and the Almond Board of California. <more> Dec. 15, 2004 Almond Board of California press release
  
  

• EPA issues final reminder of "Stop Sale" date for Diazinon — EPA is issuing a final reminder notice to pesticide retailers that the stop-sale date for all outdoor diazinon home, lawn and garden products is Dec. 31, 2004.  After that date, it will be unlawful to sell diazinon outdoor non-agricultural use products in the United States.  This provision is part of an agreement between EPA and diazinon registrants to phase out and eliminate virtually all residential uses of the
  insecticide. <more> Dec. 15, 2004 EPA Press Release
  
  

• Almond growers in the state may face high costs for hives. — Call it the plight of the honeybees. U.S. beekeepers say standby pesticides no longer work against bee-killing mites, and the parasites are killing the bees needed to pollinate California's 2005 almond crop. <more> Fresno Bee Dec. 14, 2004.
  
  

• Farmers continue using chemical slated for phase-out — Neil Nagata, a third-generation farmer, knows his strawberries: the delicate nature of the tangy-sweet, low-lying fruit, and their proclivity to pests and infections. That's why he left his 160-acre farm in San Diego County in November for Prague, where he went before a gathering of international scientists and environmentalists to defend methyl bromide, a pesticide farmers have been relying on for decades to sterilize soil and clear it of any fungus, weeds, worms or bacteria that could threaten crops. <more> Associated Press Dec. 8, 2004
  
  

• Environmentally responsible pest management practices in almonds to be highlighted at Dec. 7 Bakersfield meeting — A new publication by the University of California highlighting environmentally responsible pest management practices in almonds will be discussed Tuesday, Dec. 7 at an almond grower meeting in Bakersfield sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9.<more> Nov. 30, 2004 Almond Pest Management Alliance press release
  
  

• Environmentally responsible pest management guide published for California almond growers- A guide to help almond growers make environmentally responsible pest management decisions year-round without decreasing their yields or increasing their reject levels has been published by the University of California.<more> Nov. 30, 2004 Almond Board of California press release.
  
  

• Farmers check pesticide talks — California farm advocates have Prague on their minds and in their passports as international negotiators refine the future of methyl bromide.<more> Nov. 17, 2004 Modesto Bee
  
  

• Phaseout is causing concerns — Methyl bromide is a chemical fumigant used to sterilize the soil for field crops like strawberries and to kill pests on export crops like walnuts and almonds. It has also been identified as a contributor to ozone depletion in the atmosphere, so an international group of more than 180 countries called the Montreal Protocol is trying to ban its use around the world. <more> Nov. 6, 2004 Modesto Bee.
  
  

• DPR announces regulations for methyl bromide use — The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today announced new methyl bromide regulations to limit levels of the fumigant that may remain in the air for several weeks. These new “seasonal exposure” rules for methyl bromide are the first in the nation, and they take effect immediately.<more> Nov. 4, 2004 DPR Press Release.
  
  

• DPR requests air monitoring for four pesticides — The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has written to the California Air Resources Board, requesting that the ARB monitor four pesticides in 2005. <more> Oct. 21, 2004 DPR Press Release.
  
  

• Pesticide spray drift bill is signed by governor — Pesticide applicators will help pay the medical bills of Californians sickened by sloppy sprays under a bill signed Thursday by Gov. Schwarzenegger. <more> Oct. 1, 2004 Fresno Bee
  
  

• EPA reminds pesticide retailers diazinon 'Stop-Sale' Date approaching — EPA has issued a notice to remind retailers of a Dec. 31, 2004,stop-sale date for all outdoor diazinon home, lawn and garden products. It will be unlawful to sell diazinon outdoor non-agricultural use products in the United States after the end of this year.  <more> Sept. 30, 2004  EPA Press Release
  
  

• Mary Ann Warmerdam named director of Dept of Pesticide Regulation — Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced the appointment of Mary Ann Warmerdam as director, Paul Gosselin as chief deputy director, and Mark Rentz as deputy director of external affairs for the Department of Pesticide Regulation.<more> Sept. 17, 2004 Gov. Schwarzenegger press release.
  
  

• Florez's bill to aid pesticide victims heads to governor — A Kern County lawmaker's bill to help pay medical bills of pesticide drift victims has made its way to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. The measure by State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, narrowly passed the Assembly and the Senate before the Legislature adjourned for the year early Saturday morning.<more> Aug. 30, 2004 Bakersfield Californian
  
  

• State bid to simplify rules on pesticides is drawing protests — California's pesticide regulations often duplicate federal rules, slowing the introduction of new pest controls without doing much to protect public health or the environment, says a sweeping government reorganization plan reviewed by The Associated Press. <more> Aug, 2, 2004 Associated Press
  
  

• Comments sought on changes in use of methyl bromide — The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has issued  a second notice of proposed changes in methyl bromide regulations for "seasonal" exposures. Public comments are due by July 31. <more> DPR Press Release July 28, 2004
  
  

• DPR cuts time, costs for pesticide registration — The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today announced actions to streamline the state's pesticide registration process and help bring new, less-toxic pesticides to market more quickly. <more> DPR Press Release July 27, 2004
  
  

• House Republicans want out of treaty banning methyl bromide — House Republicans want to make sure American farmers can continue using methyl bromide as a pesticide on crops, despite a nearly two-decade-old international environmental treaty. <more> July 22, 2004 Associated Press
  
  

• Farm Bureau official notes importance of methyl bromide — The continued availability of methyl bromide as a crop protection tool is essential for farmers who produce a number of important food crops, the American Farm Bureau Federation told Congress earlier this week. <more> July 22, 2004  American Farm Bureau Federation press release.
  
  

• Group sues over pesticides in canals. Suit claims agency ignoring guidelines — A Stockton-based environmental group has sued a state agency in
  charge of controlling water pollution, claiming that the agency has
  failed to follow its own guidelines when it passed rules that control
  how pesticides can be sprayed into water-supply canals.<more> July 15, 2004 Stockton Record
  
  

• Funding aims to combat ag pests — An agriculture appropriations bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday is expected to pour millions into the battle against pests and diseases that threaten Central Valley crops. <more> Bakersfield Californian July 14, 2004.
  
  

• UC sets up network to detect ag pests. Volunteers trained to look for diseases and insects — Whether bioterrorists plant them there or they arrive accidentally, the results are not pretty when pests and diseases spread through the farms that are key to the nation's food supply. <more> Fresno Bee, July 13, 2004
  
  

• Workers: Pesticide bill not protective enough — Farmworkers and residents in Kern County are not content with recently introduced state legislation that would help them pay for medical care if a pesticide drift poisons them. <more> Bakersfield Californian Thursday May 27, 2004
  
  

• Half-million dollar budget approved for environmental issues facing almond industry — The Almond Board of California has approved nearly $500,000 for research programs dealing with a broad range of environmental issues facing the California almond industry. <more> Almond Board press release, May 26, 2004
  
  

• 120 rally to support pesticide fund bill. Some ag-spray reps say Florez's measure looks needlessly complicated — When farmworker Antonio Guzman heads into the fields, the possibility that pesticides could make him sick lingers in the back of his mind. <more> Bee Capitol Bureau Wednesday, May 26, 2004
  
  

• Almond growers adopting environmentally friendly pest management strategies — UC survey finds fewer growers using chemical sprays. California almond growers are adopting pest management strategies that eliminate orchard pests without impacting the environment, according to a recent survey conducted by the University of California, Davis. The study confirms that almond growers in California’s three major production areas are increasingly using reduced risk pest management techniques. The report shows a 27 % decrease from 1986 to 1999 in the number of grower’s utilizing chemical sprays in the dormant season.<more>  Almond Board of California, April 28, 2004
  
  

• ACRAMITE^® miticide registered on California almonds — Acramite^® miticide, developed by Crompton/Uniroyal Chemical, is now registered in California for use on almonds and other tree nuts.  <more> Company press release, April 8, 2004
  
  

• Don't make yourself an "April Fool" with pesticides — A Placer County man was spraying his yard with the insecticide diazinon when he stopped for a chew of tobacco, placing the wad into his mouth with an unwashed hand. He began vomiting, salivating, and experienced shortness of breath. For more stories of consumer pesticide mis-use, click here for more. DPR press release, April 5, 2004.
  
  

• U.S. pushes to boost use of ozone-damaging fumigant — U.S. fruit growers in Montreal this week will push for an increase in their use of a pesticide known to destroy the ozone layer, claiming that exemptions for developing nations on the chemical are unfair. <more>Reuters,  March 24, 2004
  
  

• DPR orders reevaluation on chlorpyrifos — The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) will reevaluate agricultural use of the insecticide chlorpyrifos to prevent contamination of the state's surface waters. Agricultural uses of chlorpyrifos have been identified as the principal source of chlorpyrifos in the San Joaquin and Merced Rivers, and the Sacramento/San Joaquin River. <more> Source: DPR, March 24, 2004
  
  

• Almond farmers lead as environmental stewards — As California’s population continues to escalate, and the number of vehicles on the state’s roadways reaches an all-time high, concern about air quality increases with more pressure put on farmers and ranchers to make changes in their everyday operations. <more> California Country Magazine March/April 2004
  
  

• U.S. seeks to add ozone-treaty exemptions — The United States is seeking to make more American farmers and industries exempt from a treaty that will ban methyl bromide, a popular pesticide that damages the earth's protective ozone layer, Bush administration officials said.<more> New York Times Thursday, March 4, 2004
  
  

• Kern almond growers harvest new ideas in pesticides: Report shows move away from older chemicals, more use of less-toxic measures — Local almond growers have cut their use of some highly toxic pesticides by 57 percent over the past five years, according to a new report by the Department of Pesticide Regulations. <more> Bakersfield Californian February 29, 2004
  
  

• Pesticide-linked illnesses up in 2002, says DPR — The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today released its 2002 summary of pesticide illness information. DPR investigated 1,859 potential cases of pesticide illness in 2002, compared to 979 cases in 2001. Pesticides were found to be at least a possible factor in 1,316 cases in 2002, compared to 616 cases the previous year. (Each case represents a person.) <more> Department of Pesticide Regulation press release  Feb. 26, 2004
  
  

• Modesto Bee coverage Feb. 27, 2004  click here
  
  

• DeltaKeeper sues state over pesticide — — The Stockton-based environmental group DeltaKeeper and an anti-pesticide group sued the state last week, charging the Department of Pesticide Regulation has acted illegally by ignoring problems caused by a popular pesticide.   <more...>  The Stockton Record  Monday, Dec. 8, 2003
  
  

• DPR releases pesticide use reports  Nov. 14, 2003. Click here for official pres release

Media Coverage of Pesticide Use Report

Ventura County Star http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/county_news/article
/0,1375,VCS_226_2427876,00.html

LA Times http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-newpest
14nov14,1,4578409.story
?coll=la-headlines-california

Visalia Times Delta http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/news/stories/
20031114/localnews/642146.html

SacramentoBee http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire
/story/7776235p-8715112c.html

ModestoBee http://www.modbee.com/local/
story/7736361p-8638159c.html

FresnoBee http://www.fresnobee.com/business/story/
7736038p-8637920c.html

StocktonRecord http://www.recordnet.com/articlelink/111403/
business/articles/111403-b-1.php

San Francisco Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?
file=/news/archive/2003/11/13/state2028EST0159.DTL