A state assemblyman from the South Coast has proposed legislation to try to force a state agency to enforce more stringent rules for the use of agricultural pesticides.
Democratic Assemblyman Das Williams of Santa Barbara introduced AB 304, which would create a mandatory timeline for the Department of Pesticide Regulation to adopt mitigation measures for the use of substances identified as toxic air contaminants.
Williams says the state agency has only completed the review process for eight of hundreds of registered pesticides in California.
A number of pesticides are automatically listed as toxic air contaminants because of the EPA’s listing of them as hazardous, but Williams contends that doesn’t necessarily mean additional mitigation measures will be implemented.
