The 2018-2019 Ventura County Grand Jury conducted a study of Ventura County government monitoring of pesticide, herbicide and fumigant agricultural use in close proximity to school and day-care campuses, measuring the effectiveness of implementation of recent regulation.
The Grand Jury concluded that the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, by implementation of regulations, since 2018 has been effective in reducing exposure of students and faculty on campuses adjacent to agricultural uses of pesticides, herbicides and fumigants.
The Grand Jury concluded that, with the implementation of current regulations concerning pesticide application and fumigation near schools and day-care centers by the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner, students and faculty at the public schools and campuses are afforded a measure of safety from overspray or drift of pesticides or fumigants.
The Grand Jury noted that there is only one monitoring site in the County. The Grand Jury therefore recommends the establishment of additional monitoring facilities for detecting pesticide and fumigant overspray and drift. This would help to reassure the public regarding the safety of agricultural activities in proximity to day-care and school sites.
The public is invited to review the entire report. It can be accessed at www.ventura.org/grand-jury; click on the Annual Reports tab and consult “Fiscal Year 2018-2019.”
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If there was only one monitoring site, how could a grand jury come up with this result?