SACRAMENTO, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- James W. Wells issued the following statement today (August 19) in response to a report released by the California Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG) on pesticides in air:
CalPIRG has produced a report that claims our citizens are at risk from exposure to pesticides in the air. However, it ignores readily available and authoritative air monitoring data.
The report papers over this void by linking data on pesticide use with census figures on where people live to draw unsupportable conclusions. That's like saying that millions of Californians must be at risk because they live within half a mile of freeways where cars emit exhaust.
In order to make an assumption about exposure, sound science requires CalPIRG to examine data on the levels of "airborne pesticides in California" -- the report's own subtitle -- but CalPIRG offered no such data. CalPIRG also ignored an article entitled, "Ambient Air Concentrations of Pesticides in California," published in 1996 by a respected scientific journal, Environmental Science & Technology.
The article -- cowritten by scientists from the University of California and three state agencies -- the Air Resources Board (ARB), Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) -- reported on the results of monitoring by DPR and ARB under the Toxic Air Contaminant Law. At the time, DPR and ARB had conducted air monitoring for 22 pesticides considered to be of greatest potential health risk. (Since then, DPR has monitored for another 12, for a total of 34.)
This peer-reviewed scientific study states, "Monitoring was done in several communities in a county of high use during the month of expected peak use of a particular pesticide in order to assess general population exposure ... Concentrations measured around specific applications would be expected to be representative of other areas ..." (emphasis added). The monitoring found exceedingly low levels of airborne pesticides, levels below that which represents a health concern, except for three fumigants.
For that reason, DPR imposed strict control on those same three chemicals.
CalPIRG's report criticizes DPR for using its own comprehensive authority -- rather than the Toxic Air Contaminant Law -- to protect the public. The facts are that DPR took action immediately to control the use of these fumigants, instead of relying on a law that typically requires two or three years of study and effort to impose the same kinds of restrictions. CalPIRG implies that the law somehow requires that chemicals be banned -- and is wrong yet again.
DPR is proud of its work to protect the public and the environment. CalPIRG's latest pronouncement is not a scientific study by any standard, and CalPIRG's statements about pesticides are clearly meant to frighten, rather than enlighten.
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