California launches a first-ever statewide pesticide notification system.

It’s rare to see activists seeking to restrict pesticides cheering for pesticide regulators. But on Monday, March 24, dozens of activists from all over the state gathered in Shafter, in the Central Valley, to cheer along the California Department of Pesticide Regulation for its launch of a new statewide notification system.

“Today is a good day,” said Erika Alfaro, a public health nurse and a member of the Monterey County group Safe Ag Safe Schools, one of some 200 member organizations that comprise Californians for Pesticide Reform, at a livestreamed press conference.

“This will allow farmworker communities to take precautions. I can tell my patients to close their windows, take down their clothes [from a line], to do the proper things to protect themselves and their families.”

It’s not that pesticide usage – which chemical, on which crop, on how many acres – is a secret. Applying agricultural pesticides is a closely regulated activity in California, and in advance of usage, growers submit notices of intent to county ag commissioners within four days of an intended application. This all leads to publicly accessible data – but only after the fact. For years, farmworkers and organizers have been urging regulators to produce a notification system before the fact.

The new system, called SprayDays, provides notifications of fumigant applications 48 hours in advance, and of other chemicals 24 hours in advance. As of Feb. 24, farmers must file notices of intent electronically to provide data to the system – otherwise, their process is unchanged.

Users can view a live map, and have the option to sign up to receive emails or text messages at spraydays.cdpr.ca.gov.

The map does not disclose the exact location but gives a 1-mile radius, and does not name the grower – steps that should assuage industry concerns.

It’s an incredibly user-friendly, intuitive tech experience that paints a clear picture of what is happening where. On March 25, I could see pesticide applications planned overnight in Monterey County – the insecticide methomyl on 26 acres in Chualar and on 19 acres in Marina. (SprayDays lists all intended applications, not actual applications – notices of intent are just that, and may not proceed based on factors like weather or pest presence.)

The tool was developed based on four 2022 pilots in communities around the state, including Watsonville. (Notably, Monterey County and Kern County are the only two counties that previously had advance notification tools.)

DPR pitched the $10 million idea to state lawmakers in 2021, arguing the budget allocation would enhance transparency, health and safety, and environmental justice. In a statement accompanying the launch, DPR Director Karen Morrison said, “This system is a significant step forward for DPR in fostering awareness and transparency. We look forward to continuing to refine SprayDays with feedback and engagement from all Californians.”

To that end, DPR will release a report in three years on the system’s effectiveness; a public comment period is coming later this year or early in 2026. “DPR encourages growers, applicators, all interested parties and the public to provide comments to… inform any future adaptations necessary to meet the goal of increased transparency and continued safe, legal pesticide use in California,” an info sheet from the agency reads.

Of course, that’s where DPR’s goal diverges from activists, who may hope that more transparency leads to less pesticides.

Those two divergent visions are exactly why transparency is so important. Will more information lead to more restrictions? Or will the public realize how prevalent chemicals are and get more comfortable with them? The answer remains to be seen.

“What happens down the road is a question for the community,” says Cesar Lara, a labor leader and member of Safe Ag Safe Schools, who also spoke in Shafter. “The industry says everything is safe. If everything is safe, what’s the harm with information and knowledge?”

Knowledge is power, and this is a major milestone in equipping the general public with knowledge. As members of Californians for Pesticide Reform chanted in Shafter, “si se pudo” – not yes we can, but yes we could.

SARA RUBIN is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com.