On April 30th, CPR coordinated with legislative allies, public health scientists, and an investigative reporter to brief Sacramento decisionmakers and thought leaders on how hazardous agricultural pesticides applied near schools pose a risk to the health of more than 500,000 California school children.

 

In conjunction with the one year anniversary of the release of the California Department of Public Health's disturbing report on the use of highly hazardous agricultural pesticides near public schools in the state's primary agricultural counties, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia and Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson invited state decisionmakers to learn more about the crisis and how to resolve it.  Both gave inspiring presentations on the need to do more to protect California farmworkers and children's futures. 

 

Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Chief of Environmental and Occupational Health at UC Davis and professor at the UC Davis MIND Institute, shared the most recent research on the developmental threats that pesticide exposure poses to children. Dr. Hertz-Picciotto's own research shows a causal link between prenatal and early childhood pesticide exposure and rising autism rates in California's agricultural communities. 

 

Investigative reporter and briefing emcee Liza Gross talked about her research into pesticide use in Ventura County. Ventura has the greatest amount of pesticide use near schools, which disproportionately affects Latino school children, who are twice as likely as white children to attend schools near the highest use of hazardous agricultural pesticides. Her in-depth piece - Fields of Toxic Pesticides Surround the Schools of Ventura County - was recently featured in The Nation. 

  

Maricela Morales, Deputy Executive Director of the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy, talked about how this heavy pesticide use is affecting communities in Ventura County, and what people are doing to address this environmental injustice. 

 

Paul Towers, Organizing and Media Director for Pesticide Action Network North America (and CPR Steering Committee member) wrapped it up with a discussion of how we can affect policy reforms to resolve these health threats and support more sustainable agriculture.   

 

Affected community members from the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast then spent the afternoon meeting with their legislators to talk about their experiences and specific concerns. 

 

TAKE ACTION: To ensure better protection of children at school, join CPR Steering Committee member PANNA in telling DPR you want stronger rules on how & when pesticides are applied near schools. Take action here!