Department Of Pesticide Regulation Receives Application for Research Authorization from Oxitec, Ltd to Study Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes
Julie Henderson
Director
Gavin Newsom
Governor
Jared Blumenfeld
Secretary for Environmental Protection
SACRAMENTO - DPR received an application for a research authorization to allow Oxitec, Ltd to release and study the use of genetically engineered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to reduce the current Aedes aegypti mosquito population in Tulare County, California. The department’s review of the research authorization application will entail a rigorous scientific evaluation, as well as additional consultation with government agencies and a process for public input and engagement.
The State of California must provide a research authorization before any pesticide can be field tested in the state. DPR’s application process for a research authorization includes a rigorous scientific review and risk evaluation process, including a determination of whether the pesticide product is appropriate and safe for field testing. Research authorizations are approved or denied based on an evaluation of potential hazards to public health and the environment. Approved research authorizations limit both the area and the time period that the product may be tested and may include strict requirements or limitations on use, as well as monitoring and reporting requirements. The review of a research authorization does not replace the separate, independent evaluation and registration process required prior to pesticide sale or use in California.
DPR will provide more information on the status of the Oxitec research authorization application and the department’s evaluation on its website. In the interim, comments may be sent to mosquito.ra@cdpr.ca.gov and will be retained for future reference during the department’s public input process.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s mission is to protect human health and the environment by fostering safer and sustainable pest management practices and operating a robust regulatory system to monitor and regulate the sale and use of pesticides across the state.
DPR’s work includes conducting scientific evaluation of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health or the environment prior to and following registration, registering all pesticides prior to sale or use in California, monitoring for pesticides in the air and water, and enforcing pesticide laws and regulations in coordination with 55 County Agricultural Commissioners and their 400 field inspectors. DPR invests in innovative research to encourage the development and adoption of integrated pest management tools and practices and conducts outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to pesticide safety information. More information about DPR.
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