New Environmental Justice Advisory Committee to meet in Salinas to discuss pesticide concerns.

On Friday, April 24, the newly formed Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (EJAC), part of the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), will meet at Salinas City Hall for its second meeting.

Farmworkers, members of the public and representatives from Californians for Pesticide Reform will be providing public comment regarding the use of fumigants and organophosphates, calling for stricter guidelines surrounding pesticide use in the county.

“It’s a positive thing to have a meeting on environmental justice within the community,” says Angel Garcia, co-director of Californians for Pesticide Reform and EJAC member. “This is something that the community asked for and made happen, so we’re looking forward to continued conversation with DPR to bring concerns from the community, and have them addressed in a more timely manner but also in a way that truly offers protective help.”

The April 24 meeting will involve an overview and discussion of DPR’s SprayDays website and the expansion of its air monitoring network, among other topics.

The committee, which held its inaugural meeting in December in Sacramento, was formed at the request of Californians for Pesticide Reform, whose local branch, Safe Ag Safe Schools, helped push Assembly Bill 652 into law in 2023. The law, which took effect in 2024, mandated the creation of EJAC to center rural and agricultural communities in recommendations related to DPR policies and regulatory changes. 

The committee consists of 11 members—a mix of environmental justice leaders, advocates and community representatives—and three alternates. Five members are with Safe Ag Safe Schools. The decision to hold the second meeting in Salinas was made at the request of the public. 

“We’re excited to have youth leaders from Future Leaders of Change, Rocio Ortiz from Watsonville and Victor Torres from Greenfield, [join],” says Yanely Martinez, organizer with Safe Ag Safe Schools.

Pesticide regulation is governed by a mix of federal, state and local laws. DPR, under the California Environmental Protection Agency, works with local agricultural commissioners to enforce state pesticide laws on the ground. 

A current top priority, Garcia says, is improving transparency around the exact locations pesticides are being sprayed on SprayDays, as well as expanding air monitoring.

“This is an opportunity for communities, especially those that are most impacted by pesticide use around them or near them, to elevate those concerns to a committee comprised of an environmental justice cohort,” Garcia says. “It’s a step in better addressing concerns from families and communities across the state.”

There will be two EJAC meetings per year. The Salinas EJAC meeting will be from 4-8pm Friday, April 24 at Salinas City Hall, 200 Lincoln Ave., Salinas. Those interested in attending Friday’s meeting who cannot go in person can register to participate on Zoom.