The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) is currently in discussion with four counties regarding mitigation measures for 1, 3-D soil fumigants. DPR is working with county agricultural commissioners in Merced, Stanislaus, Fresno, and Kern counties to address the issue after increased scrutiny regarding fumigant use. Some air quality samples from those areas revealed concerning levels of the fumigant.
“What DPR has proposed is to work with the county ag commissioners and implement some pilot restrictive materials permit conditions in hopes of reducing down those air quality results back into a more acceptable level,” said Josh Huntsinger, President of the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association. “Some of the specific requirements would be different types of application methods and mitigations that would hopefully reduce the amount of fumigant ending up in the air instead of down in the soil.”
Listen to the radio report below.
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