A California superior court judge has ordered CDFA to suspend a program for controlling invasive pests and diseases.
The court denied a CDFA environmental impact report, saying it did not adequately consider impacts to public health and did not have a plan for informing residents about the risk.
The department had consolidated multiple environmental reviews within the program to avoiding performing a detailed assessment for each pesticide application. The ruling is consistent with a state appeal’s court ruling last fall in a lawsuit brought on by several environmental groups that oppose the general use of conventional pesticides in agriculture.
The Center for Food Safety hailed the court decision as a major win.
“The state must prioritize providing more resources to help farmers transition to practices that reduce the need for pesticides and instead promote ecologically based farming practices that protect people and the Earth,” said west coast director Rebecca Spector in a statement.
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