05/30/07 The Legislature and pesticide issues

Washington Ag May 30, 2007 Agricultural interests were concerned at the start of this year's legislative session with the creation in the House of Representatives of a new committee, the Committee on Environmental Health. Heather Hansen of Washington Friends of Farms and Forests, says that new panel spent a lot of time focused on pesticide issues. Hansen: "We had a least a half a dozen anti-pesticide bills introduced. None of the bills passed but there are two budget provisos. One to the Department of Agriculture requiring them to do a pilot project voluntarily asking growers to notify, schools, hospitals, nursing homes and day care centers before applying certain pesticides near those facilities. It is supposed to be an all voluntary project." The state Department of Agriculture will have to develop that program, which Hansen believes will focus on aerial applications and air blast sprayers. She emphasizes that there is existing state law making spray drift illegal and if someone believes drift has occurred they should report it. Hansen says it will be up to individual producers if they want to participate in a formal voluntary notification program. I'm Bob Hoff.