Steve Tvedten of Get Set, Inc.'s email to Lyndon Hawkins of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation forwarding a press release on the CA DPR being under Court order because they violated state law.

Questions have been asked of the California Department of Pesticide Control since Fontana Unified School District declined to consider a pesticide free IPM program because of the Department of Agriculture's opinion about only utilizing registered pesticides to eliminate pests.  The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has remained silent and not responded to these issues:

How can you "regulators" say this stuff with a straight face?

On March 15, 1999, Charles D. Hunter from your Department of Pesticide Regulation wrote Ms. Sally D. Brodie and acknowledged pest control professionals in California are not ("legally") allowed to use generic soap (and water) for control of "killer bees" or other pests.  California professional pest control applicators can only "legally" use "registered" pesticide (poisons).  Mr. Hunter went on to say (untrained) individuals may legally use substances not registered in California for the purpose of controlling their residence or garden pests.  This use is allowed provided no food or feed commodities treated with the substance (soap and water) are sold, distributed for fed to animals that are sold or distributed for human consumption.  Lyndon, your Department has made organic farming  "illegal" in California.  Worse, your Department has made clean "illlegal" in California.  Are you really going to arrest farmers who have "illegal" soap and water (pest control) residue on their livestock or produce?  With what "registered" poison do you suggest the farmers, pickers, packers, truckers, processors, cooks, bakers, clerks, wholesalers and retailers use to clean their fruit, dishes, equipment, crates, livestock, shelves, clothes and hands so no "illegal" soap and water residue is found on California food or feed commodities or livestock?

On March 16, 1999, Thomas L. Baird, Deputy Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer, Pesticide Use Enforcement from the California DOA wrote Sally D. Brodie and said in part that the use of soap and water to control killer bees (by anyone) is "illegal" in California and went on to explain it could be dangerous for any untrained person to use this alternative.  Mr. Baird then sent a list of PCO companies Mrs. Brodie should call.  (Is it legal for you "regulators" to recommend PCO's in California?) Question:  When the California DPR says in writing you may legally use soap and water as an untrained individual, but it is "illegal" if you are a trained, professional PCO, and then the DOA says in writing no one can "legally" use soap and water, which "regulatory agency" does one obey?

Lyndon, if you were personally covered with stinging killer bees, would you really (1) spray yourself with a "registered" poison, (2) call your local fire department and wait or (3) call a pest control company and wait even longer?  I would advise you to immediately wash yourself and the stinging bees with generic soap and water.  The killer bees will die and you will live.  If you need "power equipment" to spray "dishwater," get a hose-end sprayer.

Lyndon, this  may come as a shock to you, but millions of Californians are daily breaking your "soap and water law" every time they clean, shower, wash or bathe.  Every time these untrained people and/or professional PCO's use unregistered soap and water they are (in your opinion) "illegally" killing millions of microorganisms and other pests.  Do you really want them, their children, pets, stores, shelves, equipment,  trucks, cars, dishes, homes, clothes and garbage cans to be hosed down with "registered" poisons or face fines and/or imprisonment for "illegally" killing living organisms with "unregistered pesticides"?  Are you really going to arrest anyone for "illegally" using soap and water as a "pesticide" in California?

I have been contacted by several leading PCO's in California who tell me that in order for them to "legally" be able to use soap and water in California to control killer bees (nothing works better), your Department makes them purchase "registered dishwater" (Impede).  Their words were, "Our solution was to get a 24c special use permit for IMPEDE which is a registered soap and water "pesticide."  The biggest hurdle with the 24c was getting the manufacturer to agree to the 24c registration as they obviously advertise their product as being "benign" and "safe" for honey bees and did not want their product name associated with killing bees.  We worked out their concerns and we may now use IMPEDE with the 24c registration."  These professional PCO's tell me they simply fill the California "registered" bottle of expensive "dishwater" with the far more inexpensive regular/unregistered/generic liquid dish soap. Lyndon, how will you ever be able to tell which soap water the professionals are using in California to kill killer bees?  You will have to make some detailed plans so you can arrest or cite the "guilty" professional PCO's who continue to use unregistered soap and water.

Lyndon, if, in your opinion, the use of soap and water to control pests is still "illegal" in California and/or that trained, professional pest control operators are not qualified to practice the art of IPM/safe pest control, e.g., do not know how to use soap and water safely; how can it possibly be legal in California for untrained persons to purchase and use any of the over-the-counter pesticide poisons (as long as they are "registered") and/or for these same untrained people to use any unregistered substance they choose for their own use on insect pests?

Lyndon, I noticed with great interest your "proposed pesticide exemption" list still does not include soap and water.  In just the last 20 years at least 19 people have died in California from exposure to "registered" methyl bromide in structural fumigation.  More that 1,600 people have been poisoned and hundreds have had to be evacuated from homes and schools after the toxic gas from just this one "registered" poison drifted from fields  ---- even after the " registered" poison was applied according to your Department's guidelines!  Lyndon, how many Californians do you know that have been harmed, poisoned, killed or even evacuated in the last 20 years because of the unregistered use/misuse of soap and water?  I think it is about time for the wheels of your "regulatory and/or judicial" system to have their screws tightened.

You people are really amazing!  How can you "regulators" say this stuff with a straight face?

Respectfully, Stephen L Tvedten