Farmers want more time to develop alternatives

By WES SANDER
Capital Press

MODESTO, Calif. -- While farmworker advocates persuade California to further restrict pesticide use under the federal Clean Air Act, farmers hope to limit those restrictions until new options are available.

"If we put agriculture under the gun too far, we might get some unintended consequences," said Paul Wenger, first vice president of the California Farm Bureau Federation, at a listening session held by the Department of Pesticide Regulation and the Air Resources Board here on Monday, Sept. 28.

To keep up with the effort to comply with the federal Clean Air Act, regulators are working on future amendments to California's required state implementation plan.

Meanwhile, state and federal programs are helping farmers develop technologies and practices.

The San Joaquin Valley meets federal designation as a problem area for ozone pollution, resulting largely from pesticide use. Under its 1994 plan, the state set voluntary guidelines for reducing the volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, emitted by pesticide use.

Ozone is formed from reactions between nitrogen oxides, mostly from engine exhaust, and VOCs, mostly from pesticides. Hot summer days accelerate the process.

Although the state found reductions in valley ozone between 1995 and 2007, it wasn't enough to meet the federal rules. So in 2008, DPR adopted enforceable regulations.

In 2006, a federal court had ordered DPR to enforce a 20 percent reduction from 1991 levels to meet the state plan's guidelines. An appeals court overturned the ruling in 2008, allowing DPR to set San Joaquin Valley reductions at 12 percent from 1990 levels, which DPR says is more consistent with the state plan.

Stakeholders, including farmworker advocates who spoke at the Modesto meeting, still want the 20 percent reduction.

"This 12 percent reduction means nothing," said Martha Guzman, a legislative advocate with California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation. "These communities don't merit this sort of mediocre protection."

But Wenger argued that efforts to extend health care to farmworker communities should also play a larger role in controlling health effects while the region works to reduce VOCs and keep agriculture viable at the same time.

"If they go to the 20 percent, it'll really be problematic," Wenger said.

Dorene D'Adamo, a member of the California Air Resources Board, said the last few years have seen a significant change in perspective among those in agriculture, aided by programs like USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program and California's Carl Moyer program.

"I think there's a lot more common ground than what we're giving credit for here," said D'Adamo. "I really see a change that has developed over the last several years. I think that agriculture has gotten on board."