Pesticide Monitoring Near Schools and Day-Care Centers

A 2014 University of California at Davis study of women and their two- year-old children exposed to organophosphate pesticides demonstrated high levels of organophosphate metabolites in the children’s blood, which inhibited mental development. By age five, the children were found to have decreased attention spans. (Ref-12)

A 1990 California Environmental Health Tracking Program study concluded that the County had the highest number of schools (12) and the highest number of students (13,045) exposed to pesticides applied within a quarter-mile radius. The pesticide application ranged from 2,635 to 28,979 pounds annually. (Ref-05)

The only air collection monitoring station in the County is operated by the CDPR on the campus of Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard. Weekly sorbent samples are taken and analyzed. The air samples taken are random in timing. There are multiple schools and day-care centers within two miles of the collection site: City Kids Pre-school, Magic Carousel Preschool, Children R Us CDC, Citrus Glen Elementary School, Princeton Academy, Las Posas Children’s Center-Citrus Glen, Ventura Children’s Learning Center, Sunshine Preschool, Las Posas Children’s Center-Serra, Junipero Serra Elementary School, Providence Court School, Rio Del Mar Elementary School, Rio Plaza Head Start, Rio Plaza Elementary School, Rio Del Valle Junior High School, Julie Irving Head Start Center, Child Development Center Rio Real, Rio Real Elementary School, City Kids Preschool, Portola Elementary School, Fellowship Church Preschool, Little Scholars Montessori, Mesa School, Mary B. Perry High School and Marshall Elementary School. (Ref-05) Pesticide Monitoring Near Schools and Day-Care Centers 3

The amount of 1,3-D, measured by the monitoring station on the campus of Rio Mesa High School for the six years from 2012 to 2017 inclusive, averaged 0.14 parts per billion (ppb). The highest year was 2012, with 0.19 ppb, and the lowest year was 2014, at 0.09 ppb. (Ref-11)

The CDPR estimate is that the 70-year lifetime cumulative effect of 1,3-D in the Oxnard monitoring area would be 0.56 ppb, which is 5% of the level considered to be a health hazard. Methyl bromide and chloropicrin results also showed levels substantially less than regulatory targets. (Ref-11)

After a letter survey by the Grand Jury, it was established that none of the 18 school districts surveyed in the County had received any complaints of overspray or drift of a pesticide or fumigant within the last two years.

After a letter survey by the Grand Jury, it was established that all of the school districts surveyed had received annual notices of pesticides, fumigants and herbicides to be applied in the coming year, and/or notice of applications 48 hours prior to pesticide use.

An interview with staff of the VCAC revealed that the VCAC has 15 inspectors in the County who make inspections of agricultural properties, applicators, and application conditions such as wind velocity, weather, temperature, and timing to prevent public and animal exposure due to overspray or drift.

Three fumigant materials are collected and analyzed by the CDPR in the County: chloropicrin, 1,3-D and methyl bromide. Future collections and analysis will include chlorpyrifos, which has been used on strawberry fields in the past. Up to 31 additional pesticides and fumigants are to be collected in future monitoring plans by the CDPR. (Ref-11)

On interview with the staff of VCAC, while the pesticide chlorpyrifos is to be monitored along with 30 other substances beginning 2019, it has been banned and is not used in the County due to strict conditions of application. (Ref-11) Conclusions C-01. The Grand Jury concluded that the use of pesticides, herbicides and fumigants in close proximity to school campuses and day-care centers in the County is of concern for the health and welfare of children, faculty and members of the public associated with these campuses. (F-01, F-02) C-02. The Grand Jury concluded that, with the implementation of current regulations concerning pesticide application and fumigation near schools and day-care centers by the VCAC, students and faculty at the public schools and campuses are afforded a measure of safety from overspray or drift of pesticides or fumigants. (F-03, F-04, F-05, F-06, F-07, F-08, F-09, F-10) C-03. The Grand Jury concluded that the lack of any complaints from school or day-care campuses of overspray or drift from pesticide applications and 4 Pesticide Monitoring Near Schools and Day-Care Centers fumigations in the last two years suggests that the level of regulation appears to be effective. (F-06) C-04. The Grand Jury concluded that the monitoring of fumigants like 1,3-D, methyl bromide and chloropicrin utilized in County agriculture demonstrates that levels of drift are below cumulative harmful levels. (F-04, F-05) C-05. The Grand Jury concluded that increased sampling of additional County agricultural areas near schools, day-care centers or areas of concentrated population would provide additional public assurance of safety. (F-03, F-09) Recommendations R-01. The Grand Jury recommends that VCAC establish more comprehensive air sampling of pesticides and fumigants, either stationary or mobile, at additional locations in Ventura County where there are clusters of schools and day-care centers. This would give increased assurance of public health and safety intended by these regulations. (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05) Responses Response Required From: Ventura County Board of Supervisors (R-01) Response Requested From: Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04) (R-01) References Ref-01. Ventura County’s 2017 Crop & Livestock Report www.ventura.org/agricultural-commissioner Accessed April 17, 2019 Ref-02. Fields of Toxic Pesticides Surround the Schools of Ventura County https://www.thenation.com/article/fields-toxic-pesticides-surround- schools-ventura-county Accessed April 17, 2019 Ref-03. Initial Statement of Reasons and Public Report Department of Pesticide Regulation Title 3, Sections 6690, 6691, 6692, and 6693 of the California Code of Regulations https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/legbills/rulepkgs/16-004/16- 004_initial_statement.pdf Accessed April 17, 2019 Pesticide Monitoring Near Schools and Day-Care Centers 5 Ref-04. Pesticide fumes send2home at Mound School https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-nov-09-me-49364- story.html Accessed April 17, 2019 Ref-05. Agricultural Pesticide Use Mapping and Proximity to Public Schools https://biomonitoring.ca.gov/sites/default/files/downloads/English07281 6_0.pdf (Copy/Paste URL in preferred Web-browse) Accessed April 17, 2019 Ref-06. Ambient Air Monitoring Results for 2017 https://www.cdr.ca.gov/doc/dept/prec/2018/072018_amn_results.pdf (Copy/Paste URL in preferred Web-browser) Accessed April 17, 2019 Ref-07. California Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Environmental Health. Chemicals Listed Effective December 15, 2017 as Known to the State of California to Cause Reproductive Toxicity: Chlorpyrifos and n-Hexane https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/crnr/listingnotice121517.pdf (Copy/Paste URL in preferred Web-browser) Accessed April 17, 2019 Ref-08. Evaluation Of Chlorpyrifos As A Toxic Air Contaminant Executive Summary https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/whs/pdf/chlorpyrifos_exec_summary.pdf Accessed April 17, 2019 Ref-09. Lazzaretti, J. Circuit Orders Ban on Chlorpyrifos. October 26, 2018. FreshLawBlog https://www.freshlawblog.com/2018/10/26/ninth-circuit-orders-ban-on- chlorpyrifos/ Accessed April 25, 2019 Ref-10. Agritoxins: Ventura County’s Toxic Time Bomb. http://www.environmentnow.org/pdf/Wishtoyo-Agritoxins-Report.pdf Accessed April 17, 2019 Ref-11. Pesticide Air Monitoring Results Database-California Department of Pesticide Regulation https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/emon/airinit/pesticide_air_monitoring_da tabase.htm Accessed April 17, 2019 Ref-12. UC Davis MIND Institute study finds association between maternal exposure to agricultural pesticides, autism in offspring https://health.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/8978 Accessed April 17, 2019 6 Pesticide Monitoring Near Schools and Day-Care Centers Glossary TERM DEFINITION 1,3-D 1,3-Dichloropropene is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial fungicide, herbicide, insecticide and nematicide. The EPA classifies this a probable human carcinogen. It also demonstrates acute toxicity to humans when inhaled. CDPR California Department of Pesticide Regulation Chlorpyrifos An organophosphate pesticide used to kill pests, including insects and worms. It can affect the nervous system. Chloropicrin A broad spectrum antimicrobial fungicide, herbicide, insecticide and nematicide. This page intentionally blank 8 Pesticide Monitoring Near Schools and Day-Care Centers