Alternative Management Practices and Interim Use within Groundwater Protection Areas (GWPAs)

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Alternative management practices inside GWPAs

The Director may approve use of alternative management practices, if they are based on scientific data demonstrating their effectiveness in reducing movement of pesticides to groundwater.

To submit an alternative practice for evaluation, write a letter to the Director and in it indicate whether the alternative is for a management practice in a leaching GWPA, runoff GWPA, or an engineered right-of-way within a GWPA. Also include the justification (data, research report, journal article, etc.) for the alternative practice. The letter should be sent to:

Director
Department of Pesticide Regulation
P.O. Box 4015
Sacramento, CA 95812

Interim use inside GWPAs

The Director may allow interim use of a pesticide containing a chemical listed in section 6800(a) within GWPA for a period not to exceed three years, if certain conditions apply.

To submit a request for interim use, write a letter to the Director and in it explain why the available management practices are not feasible for a specific crop or site and why there are no feasible alternatives for the specific crop or site. Also, indicate whether the request is for a leaching GWPA, runoff GWPA or engineered right of way within a GWPA. The request should include a study protocol(s)* to test feasible alternatives or alternate management practices. The letter should be sent to:

Director
Department of Pesticide Regulation
P.O. Box 4015
Sacramento, CA 95812.

* The study protocol should include a description of the objective, personnel, study plan, sampling methods including number of samples to be analyzed, data analysis, chemical analytical methods including appropriate quality control, timetable, and references, if any.