CDPR Proposing to Double Air Monitoring Network for Pesticides
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has announced plans to expand its statewide Air Monitoring Network (AMN). DPR released a proposal detailing plans to expand from five to ten long-term air monitoring stations and add a new mobile platform to better assess pesticide concentrations in agricultural communities. The department is holding a 60-day public comment period to seek input on proposed locations for new air monitoring stations and will host a virtual public workshop on April 14 to discuss the proposal. DPR’s Air Monitoring Program was initiated in 2011 and currently collects and analyzes data in Merced, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern, and Monterey Counties. The 2024–25 State Budget provides permanent funding to DPR to expand ambient air monitoring to a total of ten stations. DPR used an updated, data driven prioritization process to identify five counties – Tulare, Stanislaus, Imperial, Siskiyou, and San Joaquin – as leading candidates for four new AMN stations. To reach a total of ten full air monitoring sites, DPR’s expansion plan builds on five existing AMN stations to include:
Conversion of an existing site providing limited pesticide sampling to a full monitoring station in Fresno County
Up to four (4) new AMN stations in prioritized counties
New mobile monitoring station to add capacity for additional studies
CDPR plans to accept comments until May 11th. The Association will be reviewing the proposed plan and submitting comments.