Safety

The use of pesticides goes back thousands of years, when sulfur, crushed Cyprus leaves and ash were used to try and protect crops. Today, pesticides are carefully designed to deal with specific challenges and to meet society’s high standards for safety. To get a crop protection product to market, scientists screen thousands of chemicals to find one that meets safety standards for humans and the environment. Pesticides are tested for both short- and long-term health and environmental effects.

Pesticides are scrutinized not only by the Environmental Protection Agency, but also the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Department of Pesticide Regulation. If the regulators aren’t satisfied, a product can’t come to market. If there are areas regulators need to know more about, they require additional studies to be performed and new data to be reviewed. Pesticides aren’t only approved once; they are continually evaluated and undergo additional scrutiny at any time a concern is identified, or new information becomes available.

Residents in Santa Cruz, Ventura, and Stanislaus Counties are currently part of California’s notification pilot program. A notification is sent to inform you that there is a scheduled pesticide application in your county. Visit notificationsexplained.com to learn more about the notification program and the steps applicators take to safely use pesticides.