Popular Links
Back to Home Page
Back to DPR News and Publications
"From the Director"
Opinion and perspective from DPR’s Leadership Team
 |
Director, California Department of Pesticide Regulation |
Brian R. Leahy, left, is sworn in as director of the Department of Pesticide Regulation by California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Matt Rodriquez. It was an honor being sworn in Feb. 21 as director of the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) by California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Matt Rodriquez. I was especially proud to have my wife, Tina Cannon Leahy, and her parents, Pauline and Jim Nevins, there to share this honor. Looking Forward, PDF (40 kb) »
 |
Chief Deputy Director, California Department of Pesticide Regulation |
1/11/12 - Pest Management Alliance Grants Target Pesticide Use
This column focuses on part of the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s mission that rarely receives the spotlight: fostering reduced-risk pest management in both agricultural and urban settings. Read more (PDF, 149 kb) »
11/8/11 - Stormy Weather is No Deterrent to DPR Scientists Monitoring Urban Areas for Pesticide Runoff
Rain was gently falling at 1:30 a.m. in a quiet Folsom neighborhood where a team from the Department of Pesticide Regulation had assembled to monitor runoff from the first storm of the season. Read more (PDF, 174 kb) »
5/23/11 - Is Your Gardener Licensed to Use Pesticides?
Maintenance gardeners typically mow lawns and do general yard cleanup. If they also apply pesticides, even occasionally, they must be licensed to do so by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Read more (PDF, 106 kb) »
5/5/11 - Air Pollution from Pesticides Drops Again Under New Restrictions
The Department of Pesticide Regulation’s restrictions on agricultural fumigant pesticide applications made a dent in California’s dirty air for the second consecutive year since they took effect in 2008. Read more (PDF, 131 kb) »
Mary-Ann Warmerdam
Director, California Department of Pesticide Regulation(2004 - 2011) |
11/4/10 - AB 1963 and Cholinesterase-Inhibiting Pesticides
The Department of Pesticide Regulation’s ability to evaluate safeguards for agricultural employees who handle cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides will improve significantly beginning Jan. 1, 2011. Read more (PDF, 21 kb) »
8/24/10 - Reducing Urban Water Pollution
Too many Californians associate pesticide use only with large-scale agricultural operations. In reality, pesticide sales are split about evenly between agricultural and non-agricultural products, including home and garden pesticides and institutional products like chlorine used to sanitize drinking water. Read more (PDF, 100 kb) »
6/17/10 - Proposed Decision to Register Methyl Iodide
On April 30, 2010, DPR proposed registration of a new fumigant, methyl iodide, with stricter use restrictions than those imposed by U.S. EPA. As the public reviews our proposed registration decision, it is important that key facts are understood. Read more (PDF, 109 kb) »
3/4/10 - Meet DPR Staff
Bragging about DPR staff is one of my greatest pleasures as director. In that vein, I appreciate the opportunity to introduce you to Tom Babb, supervisor of our Enforcement Branch’s Northern Regional Office based in West Sacramento. Read more (PDF, 155 kb) »
2/3/10 - Smog-Contributing Pesticide Emissions Drop
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is pleased to announce that volatile organic compound pesticide emissions that contribute to smog in California dropped significantly in 2008, the first year restrictions on agricultural fumigant applications were in effect to improve air quality. Read more (PDF, 134 kb) »
10/30/09 - Educating Farmworkers about Pesticide Safety
Expanding efforts to educate fieldworkers about pesticide safety and what to do if they are exposed and become ill has been a rewarding experience for the California Department of Pesticide Regulation - and an inspiring professional and personal journey for Martha Sanchez, one of our environmental scientists. Read more (PDF, 190 kb) »
8/20/09 - Why DPR Opted for External Peer Review
DPR opted to include an external peer review of the risk assessment to reaffirm that our evaluation of methyl iodide’s potential risk to farmworkers and bystanders is based on scientifically valid standards. Read more (PDF, 951 kb) »
6/30/09 - IPM for a Safer Garden
After a cool spring, the fruits and vegetables in your garden are finally ripening and ready for harvest and culinary delights. You want to avoid another invasion by a variety of pests that decimated your tomatoes, lettuce, herbs and assorted flowers last summer. Read more (PDF, 107 kb) »