Cal. Code Regs. tit. 3 § 6487.5

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 6487.5 - Leaching Groundwater Protection Areas

Except as provided in sections 6487.1, 6487.2, and 6487.3, use of pesticides registered for agricultural, outdoor industrial, and outdoor institutional use containing chemicals listed in section 6800(a) shall be prohibited in leaching groundwater protection areas unless any one of the following management practices can be met and is designated by the commissioner on the permit:

(a) The permittee shall not apply any irrigation water for six months following application of the pesticide; or

(b) The permittee shall apply the pesticide to the planting bed or the berm above the level of irrigation water in the furrow or basin and the water level shall remain at or below that level for six months following application of the pesticide; or

(c) Irrigation shall be managed so that the ratio of the amount of irrigation water applied divided by the net irrigation requirement is 1.33 or less for six months following application of the pesticide; or

(d) An alternative management practice or pesticide approved by the Director as follows:

(1) Upon written request, the Director may evaluate and approve use of alternative management practices that are based on scientific data demonstrating their effectiveness in reducing movement of pesticides to groundwater; or

(2) Upon written request, the Director may make a determination to allow the interim use of a pesticide containing a chemical listed in section 6800(a) within a leaching groundwater protection area, for a period not to exceed three years. The Director's determination shall be based on evidence that the available management practices are not feasible for a specific crop or site, and that there are no feasible alternatives for the specific crop or site. The formal request shall include a study protocol(s) that is acceptable to the Director to develop feasible alternatives or alternate management practices. The study protocol shall include a description of the objective, personnel, study plan, sampling methods including number of samples to be analyzed, data analysis, chemical analytical methods including appropriate quality control, timetable, and references, if any. The requester shall submit a written progress report every six months. If the progress report does not support the submitted study protocol(s), or if a report is not submitted, the Director may rescind the determination to allow the use of the pesticide within a groundwater protection area.

(3) The Director will issue a public notice stating the reasons interim use has been approved under (1) or (2). The notice will be posted on the Department's Web site.

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 3, § 6487.5

1. New section filed 4-27-2004; operative 5-27-2004 (Register 2004, No. 18).
2. Change without regulatory effect amending section heading, first paragraph and subsections (d)(1)-(2) filed 5-15-2023 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2023, No. 20).

Note: Authority cited: Sections 11456, 12976, 13145 and 14102, Food and Agricultural Code. Reference: Sections 13145, 13150 and 14102, Food and Agricultural Code.