In November, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation proposed regulation that would enact a statewide system to provide the public with information before intended applications of restricted material pesticides in the state.
The department held public hearings and will accept written comments on the regulation through Jan. 12.
The department said the announcement followed two years of outreach, public meetings and pilot projects and will beta test the technology needed to support this system.
In a statement, the department said the state’s regulatory system includes a scientific evaluation of all pesticides before they are sold in California and a continuous evaluation of pesticides to mitigate risks. Restricted materials are pesticides classified with a higher potential risk to human health or the environment and can only be applied by licensed applicators, the department said.
“DPR’s proposed statewide information system builds on counties’ restricted material permitting processes to provide the public with more transparent and equitable access to information,” the department said in a news release. “The system that DPR is developing will provide information about a permitted pesticide before it is applied, including the product name, chemical or active ingredient, application method, time and date of intended application and the location of the application in a 1-square mile section. The location information included in DPR’s proposed system is based on the Public Land Survey System’s Township Section Range coordinates, which is used consistently across all California counties.”
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