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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06161987 - 2.2 TO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator Contra June 4, 1987 @ . Costa DATE; County SUBJECT: Pesticide Use In School Districts SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) Be BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION 1 . Direct the County Agricultural Commissioner, to the extent feasible within existing staff resources, to conduct at least an annual inspection of all school districts utilizing any chemical pest control, including an inspection of an actual application, as recommended in a pesticide use report prepared by Citizens for a Better Environment (CBE) . 2 . Request the County Superintendent of Schools to consider implementation of other recommendations set forth in the report regarding pesticide use by school districts. BACKGROUND On May 26, 3_987 the Board, upon the recommendation of Supervisor Nancy Fanden, referred to our office for review a report prepared by Citizens for a Better Environment on pesticide use by school districts within the county. The report was based on a survey of the practices followed by school districts in the use of pesticides. The report indicates there is a lack of school district policy on how and when pesticides will be used. Most of the recommendations contained in the report are directed toward the school districts as the means of having the districts develop safer and more effective pest control methods. These recommendations must be reviewed by school officials for possible implementation. The CBE report makes two recommendations with regard to the County Department of Agriculture. The first recommendation is that the department should require all school districts to record and report both restricted and unrestricted pesticide use, including "negative use" reports. Under state law the County Department of Agriculture is the local agency responsible for surveillance and enforcement of regulations pertaining to the use of pesticides for agricultural purposes including pesticide applications by commercial pest control operators who perform outdoor residential and institutional pest control. The County CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: _ YES SIGNATURE: - RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF OA D COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE S : ACTION OF BOARD ON June 16 1987 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER X Also, REQUESTED that a copy of the CBE report be forwarded to the Hazardous Materials Commission for information. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERV?[ BATCH ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: Agricultural Commissioner ATTESTED _ 7 Superintendent of Schoolsdr PELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF Hazardous Materials Comm, via CDD SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR County Administrator M382/7-83 BY DEPUTY -2- Department of Agriculture also regulates all government agency pesticide use, including that by school districts. All pesticides must be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and, in California, with the State Department of Food and Agriculture. Most pesticides are classified as general (unrestricted) and may be purchased and applied by anyone. No special training or supervision is required for their use. Pesticides classified as restricted may only be sold to and applied under the supervision of qualified applicators who have passed tests administered by the Department of Food and Agriculture. Qualified applicators must obtain a permit from the County Department of Agriculture before purchase and application of restricted pesticides. Public agencies are required by state law to file monthly pesticide use reports to the County Department of Agriculture listing the amount of "restricted" pesticides used during the previous month. The CBE report recommends that public agencies be required to also report on the use of general, i.e. , unrestricted., pesticides. The Agricultural Commissioner disagrees with this recommendation in that he sees it to be of no substantial benefit to require use reports on pesticides which may be purchased by and are commonly used by the general public. The County Department of Agriculture does monitor and review the monthly reports on the use of restricted pesticides. The second recommendation of the CBE report pertaining to the County Department of Agriculture is that the department should inspect, at least once a year, all school districts which perform any chemical pest control, including an inspection of an actual application. The County Department of Agriculture inspects all school district pesticide storage facilities at least once a year and in many cases more often. The Agricultural Commissioner does not disagree with the recommendation that his staff should inspect actual applications. The existing inspection staff attempts to do this now, but it is not always possible taking into consideration workload and other inspection priorities. However, the department will attempt to meet the goal of inspecting an actual application by each school district on an annual basis.