Draft Mill Assessment Recommendations Released by DPR with Call for Public Feedback
Draft recommendations developed to support the state’s transition to more sustainable pest management
Julie Henderson
Director
Gavin Newsom
Governor
Yana Garcia
Secretary for Environmental Protection
SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) released the draft mill assessment recommendations, which are part of an independently conducted study to identify the structure and funding necessary for the department to continue to effectively carry out its pesticide regulatory program and support the state’s accelerated transition to sustainable pest management. The study’s author, Crowe LLC, will collect public feedback on the draft study through May 30 to inform its final recommendations.
DPR’s mill assessment is paid by a pesticide retailer or manufacturer when a pesticide is first sold into California and provides approximately 80% of the department’s current funding. The mill assessment was last increased in 2004.
The mill assessment study was commissioned by DPR in 2021 with funding from the legislature to identify long-term resource needs and mechanisms to address the department’s funding imbalance and meet its increasing programmatic responsibilities. Over the last decade, the department has expanded its programs and outreach to address the evolving risks and impacts of pesticide use on people and the environment.
To sustainably fund DPR and the pesticide-related work of County Agricultural Commissioners (CACs) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the draft study recommendations consider incremental increases of the mill assessment from the current $0.021 up to $0.0339 per dollar of pesticide sales. The draft implementation recommendations include phasing-in the increase and continuing the mill assessment’s flat rate structure to start, while considering a tiered mill assessment in the future.
"Stakeholder consultation is critical to informing the structure and implementation of necessary long-term funding for the department," said DPR Director Julie Henderson. "We look forward to continued dialogue with stakeholders as we continue to improve the state’s equitable protection of people and the environment from pesticide risks and advance a systemwide transition to sustainable pest management."
Crowe LLP is seeking feedback on the draft to inform its final recommendations for department funding, which are expected to be released this summer. The feedback period is open today through May 30 at 5 p.m. Comments may be sent via email to ProjectMillStudy@cdpr.ca.gov, or by mail to 1001 I Street, P.O. Box 4015, Sacramento, CA 95812.
Crowe LLP will hold a webinar on Thursday, May 4, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. to give an overview of the draft study and recommendations. The Mill Study Webinar will be hosted live on Zoom. Registration is not required to attend, and the webinar will be recorded.
Crowe LLP is also conducting three Q&A sessions for stakeholders. To sign up for a Q&A session, interested participants should email two preferred date/time choices to Jamey.Hammond@crowe.com by Monday, May 8, from the following options:
- Tuesday, May 9 from 1-2:30 p.m. PST
- Thursday, May 11 from 3-4:30 p.m. PST
- Tuesday, May 16 from 1:30-3 p.m. PST
More information on the mill assessment study and the current mill assessment are available on DPR’s website. Updates on the progress and findings of the mill assessment study are available by subscribing to the department’s email distribution list
.ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s mission is to protect human health and the environment. The department achieves this mission by fostering safer and sustainable pest management and operating a robust pesticide regulatory system. DPR’s work includes registering all pesticides sold or used in California, conducting pre- and post-registration scientific evaluations of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health or the environment for pesticides in the air and water, and enforcing pesticide use laws and regulations in coordination with 55 County Agriculture Commissioners and their 500 field inspectors.
DPR also conducts outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to pesticide safety information. More information about DPR can be found on our website.
###
