The Impact of Senate Bill 6397

Senate Bill 6397, which would prohibit the application of pesticides within a half mile of a child care facility, residence, school, or any person out of doors and would require written notice to facilities, residences and persons within the half mile buffer zone 24 hours prior to pesticide application, could inflict a crushing blow to agriculture in Washington if passed; affecting not only farmers, but state forests, public health agencies, and even international trade. Senator Curtis King voices why there are concerns in the ag community over the two bills.

KING: The other thing that this bill does is that it moves the responsibility from the Department of Ag and moves it into Labor and Industries. It provides that between DOL and the Department of Health they can levy a $10,000 fine and create a cause of action by anybody that wants to do it. The Department of Natural Resources said that this bill if passed the way it is it will cost them tens of millions of dollars because of all their leased lands that they have that are in agriculture. It also applies to forests, so it’s going to cost them millions of dollars to implement it there as well. The Department of Ag testified that it’s going to have a dramatic impact upon our international trade with our crops overseas because we have to comply with international pesticide spraying laws.

Senate Bill 6397, while it deals strongly with agriculture, was not heard within the agriculture committee.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.