Abstracted from Associated Press, October 6, 2016
California tightens rules on use of Telone
California will tighten rules on how much farmers
can use the common pesticide Telone, listed by the nation's most productive
agricultural state as a chemical known to cause cancer, regulators said
Thursday.
Growers in California applied more than 13 million
pounds of the chemical in 2014, the last year for which complete information was
available, according to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.
Most of it was applied in Fresno, Kern, Merced,
Monterey and Tulare counties, on soil used to grow almonds, strawberries, sweet
potatoes, grapes, carrots, peppers, tomatoes and other unspecified row
crops, according to the department.
The change doesn't ban Telone but creates a uniform
rule for its application each year. The rule is drawing criticism from farmers
who call it a key way to fight pests and fear the crackdown could lead to
higher food prices.
California is the only state to restrict how much
can be applied (Department of Pesticide Regulation).
Farmers have been allowed to use 90,250 pounds of the chemical each year within
6 square miles. They can carry over unused amounts from one year to the next —
potentially doubling the base
The new rule limits the annual allowance to 136,000
pounds with no option for carrying over unused amounts. Farmers also will not be
permitted to use the chemical in December, when California's weather conditions
make the air concentrations of the pesticide higher, officials said.
The new rule goes into effect Jan. 1, 2017.