Compliance Assistance for Agricultural Pesticide Use Near Schoolsites

The Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) adopted new regulations addressing agricultural pesticide applications near public K-12 schools and licensed child day care centers (collectively referred to as schoolsites). Effective January 1, 2018, these regulations provide minimum distance standards for certain agricultural pesticide applications near schoolsites and requires annual grower notifications to schoolsites. The goal is to reduce the chances of unintended pesticide exposure to children and increase communication between growers, County Agricultural Commissioners (CAC), and schoolsites.

DPR developed notification tools, fact sheets and guidance to aid in compliance with these new regulations including:

• Creation of CalSchoolNotify.org website for schoolsite administrators to verify contact information, property boundaries, and access submitted grower notifications.
• Modified CalAgPermits to identify affected growers, fields, and schoolsites. Annual notifications can be directly created in CalAgPermits and sent to schoolsites.
• Modified CalPEATS to notify inspectors that the selected location is within a 1/4 mile of a schoolsite.
• CAC guidance document on interpreting and enforcing the new regulations
• Grower, applicator, and schoolsite administrator factsheets on complying with the regulations available at www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/enforce/pesticide_applications_near_schoolsites.htm

If you have any questions, please contact the Enforcement Branch Liaison assigned to your county.

Sincerely,