On Tuesday, the state Assembly passed legislation that would require farms within a quarter-mile of a school to notify county officials before spraying pesticides.
The intent of Assembly Bill 1864, authored by Assemblyman Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael), is to reduce pesticide exposure in young children, who are especially affected by carcinogens.
“Strengthening enforcement of pesticide regulations in school zones is critical to student health, particularly in our rural school districts,” Connolly said. “Children are particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of pesticides, and underenforcement of pesticide regulations disproportionately affects students of color.”
The legislation now heads to the state Senate for consideration.
Before Tuesday's Assembly vote, Connolly argued that the prevalence of chemicals near classrooms is a source of anxiety for parents of school-age children who live in some of the state's most rural counties, where playgrounds Schools and farms often border each other.
Last month, a group of teachers and environmental and social justice groups sued Monterey County agriculture officials and state pesticide regulators, alleging they ignored children's health by allowing several farms to use restricted pesticides near three schools. primary and secondary schools, whose students are mostly Latino.
Monterey County ranked seventh among California's 58 counties for the most pesticides applied, with more than 9 million pounds used on 6.5 million acres. Fresno and Tulare counties rank first and second, respectively, according to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.
A local councilor called it “environmental racism.”
The California Department of Public Health, the California Environmental Health Monitoring Program, and the Public Health Institute published a study in 2014 that examined pesticide exposure in 2,511 public schools attended by more than 1.4 million students. It found that Latino students were disproportionately exposed, where 46% were more likely than their white counterparts to attend schools with higher exposure to pesticide use.
The report found that children are more likely to be exposed due to three factors: being outdoors more frequently, their physiological maturity and their body size. Exposure rates were also found to differ dramatically between counties, primarily because counties implemented different buffer zones for pesticide use or restricted pesticide use near certain sensitive locations.
Connolly's bill would require farmers to submit applications to county agriculture commissioners for authorization to use pesticides within a quarter-mile of a public or private school.
Californians for Pesticide Reform, a statewide coalition that wants to restrict pesticide use and supports the bill, said exposure to pesticides is “linked to acute poisonings and chronic diseases, such as cancer, respiratory illnesses and developmental disorders in children.
The California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association, an organization that provides regulatory services for agricultural production and opposes the bill, argued that the burden of new compliance responsibilities “would fall largely on California agriculture commissioners.” county”.
Other opponents include several state and family groups, including the California Blueberry Association, the California Strawberry Commission and the California Olive Growers Council.
