News Blog
State's First Methyl Iodide Permit Withdrawn
April 15, 2011
It took a few months after the California Department of Pesticide Regulation registered the fumigant methyl iodide for use in California for a grower to enter into what's been a controversial fray, but the first application for use was approved by the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner this week, and then the permit was withdrawn the next day.
The permit was withdrawn after officials learned the field was within a half mile of a playground, in violation of the buffer requirement on the fumigant label, according to a report in the Ventura County Star.
To date, no growers in Monterey County have approached the agricultural commissioner for a permit, which Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Bob Roach attributes to the growing season, since southern California growers are generally a few months ahead of the central coast growing season.
As to the withdrawal of the Ventura County permit, "That’s how the system’s supposed to work,” Roach says. "You don’t get all the info when [the grower] first walks in the door," and a site visit in this case confirmed a label violation in regard to proximity to a playground.
“We know our first methyl i permit is going to come, and we are going to pay a lot of attention to issuing that permit," Roach says.
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