Volatile Organic Compounds Nonfumigant Regulations – Fact Sheets

Beginning November 1, 2013, regulations by the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) to reduce smog-producing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from pesticides go into effect for certain nonfumigant pesticide products (Title 3, California Code of Regulations [3 CCR], sections 6558, 6577, 6880, 6881, 6883, 6884, and 6886). DPR’s Licensing Branch will be sending fact sheets on grower, Pest Control Dealer, and Pest Control Adviser requirements to all licensed pesticide dealers in early August and to PCAs working in the San Joaquin Valley in mid-September. Copies of the factsheets are enclosed; additional information on reducing VOC emissions from nonfumigant pesticide products is now available online at www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/emon/vocs/vocproj/reduce_nonfumigant.htm.

Sales restrictions for dealers statewide apply to:

• High-VOC products containing abamectin, chlorpyrifos, gibberellins, or oxyfluorfen
• Applied in San Joaquin Valley

Use restrictions apply to uses that meet all of the following criteria:

• High-VOC products containing abamectin, chlorpyrifos, gibberellins, or oxyfluorfen
• Applied in San Joaquin Valley between May 1 and October 31
• Applied to alfalfa, almonds, citrus, cotton, grapes, pistachios, or walnuts

The regulations are designed to keep VOC emissions below a target level from May through October in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV). For these regulations, the SJV includes all of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties and the valley portion of Kern County.

Please note: These regulatory updates will be available closer to the November 1st implementation date, on DPR’s Title 3, California Code of Regulations (3 CCR) website and in Volume 2, Laws and Regulations, of the Pesticide Use Enforcement Program Standards Compendium. To print the text of upcoming regulations go to www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/legbills/rulepkgs/12-001/text_final.pdf

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

Sincerely,