Department of Pesticide Regulation Seeks Public Feedback on Proposed Doubling of Air Monitoring Network

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

DPR has released a proposal to expand its Air Monitoring Network, including adding up to four new monitoring stations, and is inviting public input on proposed locations. Community members are encouraged to participate in a virtual public workshop on April 14 to learn more.

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) today announced plans to expand its statewide Air Monitoring Network (AMN) and is soliciting feedback on community selection for new monitoring locations.

Today, DPR released a proposal detailing the department’s 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 to monitor pesticides in the air as part of its continuous evaluation of pesticide risks and to help assess and improve protections for people and the environment. The program currently collects and analyzes data in Merced, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern, and Monterey Counties. One site in Delhi (Merced County) has already been converted from limited pesticide sampling to a full monitoring station, and a similar site in Parlier will be relocated within Fresno County to provide expanded monitoring capabilities.

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

In addition to the permanent AMN stations, DPR also plans to launch a new mobile monitoring station by the end of 2027.

How to Comment on the Proposal

DPR opened a 60-day public comment period through May 11 to gather public feedback on its proposal to expand the AMN in California.

Public feedback can be submitted to DPR through the online comment portal SmartComment, or sent by email to Air.Program@cdpr.ca.gov.

AMN Expansion Proposal

DPR’s Air Monitoring Network (AMN) Expansion: A Prioritization Framework – English

DPR’s Air Monitoring Network (AMN) Expansion: A Prioritization Framework – Spanish

The following is a report detailing DPR’s site selection process and is meant to provide technical context for DPR’s proposed placements included within the AMN Expansion Prioritization Framework.

Air Monitoring Network Site Selection: Standard Operating Procedure – English

Information on the Public Workshop

Air Monitoring Network Public Workshop

When: April 14, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual (via Zoom)

At the workshop, DPR will present information on its prioritization framework for AMN stations to inform public input. The workshop will be conducted in English with Spanish interpretation provided. To request interpretation in additional languages, please email LanguageAccess@cdpr.ca.gov at least 10 business days prior to the workshop.

DPR staff will also present information on the AMN expansion proposal to the Pesticide Registration and Evaluation Committee (PREC) at its March 20 meeting, which will be held virtually.

For more on DPR’s air monitoring program, including past air monitoring reports, see our website.