On Thursday, the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced its new rule requiring advance public notice of certain hazardous agricultural pesticide applications. The new regulation, which goes into effect in January 2025, addresses concerns about pesticide exposure in farmworker communities and beyond. However, advocates are calling for additional measures to provide precise field-level details of pesticide use.
Under the regulation, Californians will be notified via text or email about planned pesticide applications within a nine-square-mile area around a specific address. The notifications, which will cover pesticides classified as “restricted materials”—those considered most hazardous or prone to drifting—will also be accessible through an online map. The program will launch with English and Spanish language support, with plans to expand to other languages in the future.
Farmworker communities in the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast, where pesticide use is concentrated, welcomed the increased transparency but emphasized the need for exact location data.
“We’ve been fighting for better protections from hazardous pesticides for many years, including the simple right to know about planned chemical use in our neighborhoods,” said Noemi Chico, a teacher’s assistant in Salinas. “California has taken a step in the right direction, but what we really need to know is whether an application is planned for next door or a mile across town.”
The public has long raised concerns about the health risks associated with pesticide exposure, which studies have linked to cancer, asthma, autism, and birth defects. Despite these risks, advance notice of pesticide applications is rare globally. California’s new rule marks a significant departure from the status quo by requiring growers to submit a “Notice of Intent” (NOI) before using restricted materials.
While advocates praised the regulation’s intentions, they noted a critical shortcoming: the notification system will provide only the general vicinity of applications rather than the exact field locations.
“The commitment to review and improve the regulation in the future is a critical component of the new notification program,” said Angel Garcia of the statewide coalition Californians for Pesticide Reform. “We believe that not providing the exact field location of applications will prove to be a critical omission, and too often laws and regulations don’t get revisited after they are finalized. This provision gives some assurance that the program can be fixed if it’s not working.”
To address potential gaps in the program, the regulation includes a three-year public engagement process overseen by DPR’s newly established Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. This process is designed to evaluate the rule’s effectiveness and consider revisions based on community feedback. Advocates see this as an opportunity to push for improvements, including more precise location data.
The regulation represents a significant step forward in protecting California’s residents from the potential dangers of pesticide exposure. However, advocates remain committed to ensuring that future iterations of the rule address their concerns fully, providing not just greater transparency but also the tools needed to safeguard public health.
