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:

Lyndon, I thought you might like to know that the EPA has begun to limit a few of the more dangerous "registered" pesticide poisons, e.g., organophosphates (nerve gases).

SEATTLE, July 31 – Beginning Monday, the EPA will crack down on two chemicals (poisons)  used as pesticides (poisons) in fruit orchards. Both insecticides (poisons) are part of a class of nerve agents that are among the most worrisome of pesticides ("registered" poisons).

         THE EPA ANNOUNCEMENT is timed to coincide with the third anniversary of the Food Quality Protection Act, aimed at reducing pesticides (poisons), especially on foods eaten by children. But farmers argue that the move will make them look for expensive substitutes for the pesticide (poison) at a time when farming is already under economic stress.
    Growers said many of them were actually cutting down on chemicals by using a unique approach. They’re using a program called integrated pest management (IPM), which maximizes natural biological pest control and reduces the need for traditional chemical (poison) treatment.
    “At the most basic level, I think what people try to do who are practicing IPM is to maximize the use of beneficial insects and the primary way that is done is by avoiding the use of chemicals that are broadly toxic,” said Dr. Mike Willett, NW Horticultural Council.
    Growers are also using insect traps and lures that contain scents which disrupt the mating cycles of the pests.
    The ban will be on methyl parathion, known commercially as Penncap-M, and new limits on azinphos methyl, which is sold under the name Guthion.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Lyndon, someone ought to tell these growers their "IPM" program is not working - the July issue of McCall's magazine noted the recent Consumer's Union research that found that American-grown fruits and vegetables tend to have the highest levels of insecticide poisons.  May be some day it will be "legal" everywhere to wash your can and thereby kill the enclosed flies and maggots with unregistered soap and water - may be one day all pest control will "legally" be done using only some of the safer (and less expensive and more effective) alternatives I have spent a lifetime developing - what do you think?

Respectfully, Steve.