Senate Bill 458 which was introduced by Maria Durazo, (D, Los Angeles), is a bill which will prohibit the statewide use of chlorpyrifos. Since its introduction, the California Farm Bureau has opposed the bill. The Department of Pesticide Regulation has imposed interim restrictions on the use of chlorpyrifos in agricultural settings, however the use of the pesticide is still significant for the protection of many commodities widely grown across the state. Last year, we talked with Joel Nelsen of California Citrus Mutual, who said the complete ban could hurt the industry when it comes to crop protection and there isn’t an exact answer on what they can replace it with. There is a proposed amendment to the bill which the Senate Environmental Quality Committee will review this week. Listen to the full report below.
Danielle Leal
Multi-Media Journalist & AgNet News Hour Anchor