The cut-off date for chlorpyrifos is quickly approaching. All chlorpyrifos sales in California will officially come to an end on February 6, after an agreement was made with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and product manufacturers. The process to ban the product in California began last May when it was labeled a “toxic air contaminant” by DPR. Growers can continue to use their existing supplies of chlorpyrifos until December 31 of this year, when storage of the product will no longer be permitted.
DPR and the California Department of Food and Agriculture have formed a working group to address the void that will be left by the absence of the product. The state has allocated nearly $6 million in grant funding to assist in the development of sustainable materials to replace chlorpyrifos.
Public workshops are being held in the coming weeks to gather input on potential alternatives to chlorpyrifos: The meetings are scheduled for January 14 in Fresno; January 16 in Sacramento and January 21 in Oxnard.
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