DPR Appoints Members to Inaugural Environmental Justice Advisory Committee

SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) today announced the appointment of eleven members and three alternates to its first-ever Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (EJAC). The committee’s formation represents a significant milestone in DPR’s ongoing efforts to advance equity, transparency, and community engagement in pesticide regulation statewide.

Established under Assembly Bill 652, the EJAC will provide guidance to the department on how to better incorporate the voices of communities most impacted by pesticide use into its programs and decision-making. The creation of the EJAC also supports DPR’s 2024–2028 Strategic Plan priorities, including modernizing the state’s pesticide regulatory framework and building inclusive, community-informed policies.

“These appointments bring essential community insight to the table,” said DPR Director Karen Morrison. “This committee will help DPR continue to take meaningful steps to ensure that regulatory decisions reflect the realities of all Californians—especially those most impacted by pest management decisions.”

Members were appointed by Director Morrison for their leadership, professional expertise, and lived experience in areas including environmental justice, agriculture, public health, Indigenous and farmworker advocacy, and sustainable pest management. They represent diverse geographic regions across California, including the Central Valley, Central Coast, and both Northern and Southern California.

The following individuals have been appointed to serve on DPR’s Environmental Justice Advisory Committee:

1. Erika Alfaro – Public health nurse; Co-founder, California Nurses for Environmental Health and Justice.
2. Horacio Amezquita – Small farmer and Environmental Justice Advocate.
3. Martha Dina Arguello – Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles.
4. Angel Garcia – Co-director, Californians for Pesticide Reform.
5. Bianca Lopez – Executive Director, Valley Improvement Projects.
6. Emily Marquez, PhD – Senior Scientist, Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network.
7. Guadalupe Martinez – Former United Farm Workers leader; former Director, Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment.
8. Sarait Martinez-Ortega – Executive Director, Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño.
9. Rocio Ortiz – Co-founder, Future Leaders of Change; student, CSU Monterey Bay.
10. Mechelle Perea-Ryan, PhD – Has over 30 years of service in agricultural communities.
11. Tim Prado – Member, Comité Progreso de Lamont.

Alternates:

1. Robert Chacanaca – Retired educator and Native American labor organizer.
2. John Mataka – Co-founder, Grayson Neighborhood Council.
3. Victor Torres – Co-founder, Future Leaders of Change; student, Monterey Peninsula College.

The EJAC will hold its first public meeting in late fall 2025. All meetings will be open to the public, with dates and information posted in advance on DPR’s Environmental Justice Advisory Committee webpage.

For more information or to contact the committee, email EJACinfo@cdpr.ca.gov.

About the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s mission is to protect human health and the environment by fostering sustainable pest management and regulating pesticides. DPR’s work includes registering all pesticides sold or used in California, conducting pre- and post-registration scientific evaluations of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health or the environment from pesticides, and enforcing pesticide use laws and regulations in coordination with 55 County Agriculture Commissioners and their 500 field inspectors. DPR also conducts outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to pesticide safety information.