A state agency has reached a settlement with a major agricultural pesticide company over charges that it violated application regulations in four California Counties, including Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties.
The settlement involves Tri-Cal, which is one of the state’s largest agricultural pesticide applicators. Officials with the State Department of Pesticide Regulation say there were nine incidents, and 61 pesticide use violations. The chemicals involved were 1,3-D and chloropicrin.
Investigators say the worst violations were in Monterey County, including an incident in which 39 farmworkers were exposed to a pesticide. Three had to seek medical care. But, there were also incidents in Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties.
The agreement put Tri-Cal’s license on probation for two years. The company has to give a week’s notice before spraying near sensitive areas like schools, neighborhoods, and businesses, and has to beef up monitoring.
