The state of California’s regulatory agencies, especially the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), boast that we have the toughest network of environmental laws, designed to protect public health, in the country. Yet over the decades, it has been devilishly difficult for people with negative health impacts resulting from pesticide exposures to prove it in court. … [N]either DPR nor any county ag commissioners consider the interactions and cumulative impacts of multiple pesticides over time as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A further CEQA requirement – considering less toxic alternatives to specific pesticide applications – is regularly and roundly ignored.
-Written by Woody Rehanek, a farmworker for 18 years and a special ed teacher for 18 years for Pajaro Valley USD. He is a member of SASS (Safe Ag Safe Schools) and CORA (Campaign for Organic & Regenerative Agriculture).