California Department of Pesticide Regulation appointment

San Francisco Chronicle/Associated Press, 2/3/12. "Environmental groups are applauding the naming of a former conservation official as California's new chief pesticide regulator.

Cleaning-up the pesticide regulator

Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Brian Leahy on Thursday to head the Department of Pesticide Regulation. Leahy is the former assistant director at the California Department of Conservation, as well as a former organic farmer.

California's previous pesticide regulator, Mary-Ann Warmerdam, resigned in March to work for Clorox. Her resignation came amid an uproar over the state's approval in December 2010 of a controversial pesticide. Warmerdam had called methyl iodide "the most evaluated pesticide in the department's history," and insisted it could be used safely with strict mitigation measures."

Is methyl iodide poison sprayed on vegetables (main culprit strawberries) a safe organic pesticide?  Guess not.  Wikipedia., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Report from Food Huddle, 3/8/10. Complaints from Pesticide Action Network. Article from The Atlantic, 1/19/12. Ongoing lawsuit reported in Huffington from CA Watch, 2/3/12.

Posted by Kathy Meeh