Steve Tvedten of Get Set, Inc.'s email to Lyndon Hawkins of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation .

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:

Subject: California School Pesticide (Poison) Bill
Date:     Wed, 14 Jul 1999 16:24:34 -0400
From: Rosalind Tvedten <stvedten@earthlink.net>
 Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Lyndon Hawkins <hawkins@empm.cdpr.ca.gov>
 

Dear Lyndon,

Thought you might like to read an article I found in the July, 1999 issue of Pest Control Technology, on page 13 & 14, entitled California School Pesticide Bill Passes from Committee.  Sacrament, Calif. ---- A bill that would ban pesticides with Proposition 65 ingredients (a list of chemicals that are identified by the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm) and those that are Category 1 and Category 2 pesticides has passed unanimously from the California Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials.  The bill passed as amended to the Committee on Appropriations.

The legislation, A.B. 1207, was opposed by the Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Association (CSMA).  CSMA claims that the legislation fails to provide sufficient protection against insect and rodent threats to children and that posting notice restrictions would preclude the timely, emergency use of products (their word for POISONS) against stinging insects or rodent threats.

The bill would require the Department of Pesticide Regulation to establish least-toxic pest management training for school personnel and require licensed PCOs to include certain information on any school pesticide use reports.

The bill also would make it unlawful to apply designated pesticides on school grounds and would authorize a school administrator to suspend application of this prohibition in a pest control emergency.  CSMA stated that routine use of antimicrobial products should be permitted without requirements for posting and notification, or restrictions on use.  The products reduce disease transmission in rest rooms, lunchrooms and pools, CSMA added.

 A measure in the bill will exempt bait stations and antimicrobial pesticides.  Last year CSMA was successful at negotiating a compromise language with the sponsor, but then-Governor Pete Wilson vetoed the bill at the urging of the agricultural pest control industry.

Lyndon, hopefully it will soon be legal to wash your can at school in California.  When it finally is, I have 1700 safe alternatives to replace your "registered" poisons.  I have removed all of the pests inside and outside in over 350 schools without ever using any volatile, "registered" pesticide poisons.  I will be glad to help you protect the children of California from pests and pesticide poisons! Respectfully,  Stephen L. Tvedten