Western Plant Health Applauds Veto of California Assembly Bill 2146

Governor Sticks to Sounds Science in Rejecting Measure Promoting Unnecessary Pesticide Regulations that Would Have Put Crops as Risk

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Western Plant Health voiced support for Governor Gavin Newsom's veto of California Assembly Bill 2146, which would have taken pesticide regulations out of the hands of scientists.

"Governor Newsom has demonstrated a consistent and highly laudable commitment to trusting science as his guide for making major policy decisions," said Renee Pinel, President & CEO of WPH. "We are pleased that he has again followed sound science and reason in rejecting this proposed law."

Assembly Bill 2146 sought to adopt restrictions in urban and suburban areas on a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, which are used to combat a variety of pests, including mosquitos, bed bugs, fleas, cockroaches and a range of invasive species. Neonicotinoids are also vital for protecting backyard fruit and citrus trees that help provide important nutrition to families around the state.

Pinel said that the proposed law ignored the fact neonicotinoids prevent the spread of the Asian Citrus Psyilid (ACP) from residential trees to agriculture, including California's $2-billion citrus industry. This is important, she said, because an estimated 8 in 10 citrus trees are grown in urban areas.

In addition, AB 2146 would have created more tinder for wildfires, Pinel said, "because the legislation would have limited use of a pesticide that protects trees and plants in forests and fire-prone areas."

California already has the most restrictive regulatory environment in the country, and the Department of Pesticide Regulations is working to release the most conservative regulations that will impact the use of neonicotinoid products. WPH supports the Governor's commitment to allowing the regulatory process move forward based on science and not politics.

About Western Plant Health:
Western Plant Health (WPH) is a Sacramento-based trade association whose member companies promote the environmentally safe and agronomically sound use of their products. WPH members provide farmers with a wide range of crop protection and fertilizers necessary for safely growing crops that produce nutritious food and high-quality fiber, as well as horticultural products.

Media Contact

Stevan Allen, WPH, 1 9167182999, [email protected]

SOURCE Western Plant Health Association