CDPR Announces Proposed Rules on Agricultural Pesticide Use Near Schools and Childcare Centers
Public Comment Period through November 17th
On September 29 th , the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) proposed regulatory action to "give further protections to children when agricultural pesticides are applied close to schools and day-care facilities." 

While many counties in California have rules in place with respect to pesticide use near schools, CDPR notes that "the proposed regulation would be the first statewide standard."

Core elements of the proposed regulations include:
  • The prohibition of "many pesticide applications within a quarter mile of public K-12 schools and child day-care facilities from Monday through Friday between 6am and 6pm."
  • A requirement for "California growers and pest control contractors to notify public K-12 schools and child day-care facilities and county agricultural commissioners (CACs) when certain pesticide applications are made within a quarter mile of these schools and facilities."
The deadline for written comments about the proposed action is 5:00 p.m. on November 17, 2016.  

Comments can be transmitted by email to dpr16004@cdpr.ca.gov or by facsimile at (916) 324-1491.   Additional information on the proposed regulations, comment periods, and public hearings are available from CDPR.


Tracking Pesticide Use Near Schools
 
CDPR notes that the California Environmental Health Tracking Program's (CEHTP) report on pesticide use near schools "provided valuable data on pesticide use near schools." Our 2014 report, Agricultural Pesticide Use Near Public Schools in California, provided estimates of agricultural pesticide use near public schools in 15 agricultural counties.  This study offered a method to quickly identify locations where risks of pesticide-related exposures may be elevated. 
 
pesticides and schools report


The Need for Better Data
 
During the course of the study, CEHTP highlighted data needs that would allow for similar evaluations of pesticide use near schools to be conducted in the future:
  • Routine and standardized collection, digitization, and reporting of data on agricultural field locations of each pesticide use permit
  • An accurate, complete, and publicly accessible database on pesticides applied on school properties
  • An accurate, complete, and publicly accessible database of school property boundaries in California
  • Ongoing surveillance of the use of pesticides of public health concern near schools and other potentially sensitive locations, in order to understand trends and usage patterns
Additional Pesticide Resources
 
pesticide mapping tool

CEHTP has recently updated our pesticide mapping tool, which you can use to easily explore CDPR's agricultural pesticide use reporting data.
 
You can also view data on pesticide-related illnesses and reported pesticide exposures on CDC's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network.
The California Environmental Health Tracking Program is a program of the Public Health Institute , in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health.  CEHTP is part of a national initiative coordinated by the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program.
  
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This publication was supported by the Cooperative Agreement Number 5U38EH000953-06, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.