Comments Requested on the Pesticide Episode Investigation Procedures

The Department of Pesticide Regulation has drafted Volume V of the Pesticide Use Enforcement Program Standards Compendium titled Pesticide Episode Investigation Procedures. This volume has incorporated interpretations of laws and regulations that apply to investigations and include the following topics:

1. General information on legal authority, responsibility, and jurisdiction
2. Objectives and procedures
3. Conducting witness interviews
4. Investigative sample and documentary evidence collection
5. Report writing.

As explained in Enforcement Letter ENF 05-02, the Compendium will be the reference against which county programs are evaluated. As with the other volumes, the contents of this volume supercede any position or direction on that subject contained in previous letters to the county agricultural commissioners or earlier manuals. Several topics have been updated.

The Department of Pesticide Regulation is seeking your review and comments before finalization. We request that your individual comments be discussed and forwarded through your area group to help us resolve any variation in points of view. Area groups should send the final comments in writing to Mr. Don Richmond with the Worker and Health Safety Branch. Mr. Richmond can be reached by e-mail at drichmond@cdpr.ca.gov or by mail (see letterhead address). We believe this process will help us expedite the review and get the completed manual in your hands as soon as possible. To be more effective, please submit your comments within 60 days.

Sincerely,