Comments by Karen Cameron, concerned Salinas citizen, on August 11 to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.
Salad bowl of the world, yet we’ve had no air monitor from CDPR [California Department of Pesticide Regulation] since 2017, so we don’t know what we’re breathing in terms of pesticides. It was interesting to read through the environmental justice element of the Monterey County General Plan, where CalEnviroScreen data was shared from Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment on pesticides accumulation in some of the disadvantaged areas. 99% accumulation in Boronda, Las Lomas, Moss Landing, Castroville. The list goes on. In Pajaro, where we have our closest air monitoring, it’s listed at 79 to 100% accumulation. That’s very concerning to me. We seem to live in a time when we’ve normalized this behavior. I flash back to 1962 where Rachel Carson published Silent Spring with many of these same concerns. My colleagues from Safe Ag Safe Schools and Future Leaders of Change are right now in Sacramento marking 30 years for California for pesticide reform. Just wanted to share with you that on a local level, I have a big concern I shared with the city council this week in Salinas. I met with the Monterey County Ag Commissioner by phone for over 20 minutes, displaying a concern that I have from spray days notification data that I have collected for two schools in Salinas that are near fields. University Park Elementary, I’ve noted 57 methomyl applications since May 10th. McKinnon Elementary, over 50. And to tell you the truth, I think I’ve missed a couple because it’s so hard to keep up with this. That is a minimal number I could document. Now the Ag Commissioner in our conversation not only confirmed that methomyl, these applications are all methomyl, is banned in over 50 countries for its toxicity, yet he is signing off on every application. And he admitted to me that this trend is going on for the next month at least. We share concerns that school is in session. I share concerns that I’ve had seasonal health concerns that seem to calendar in concern with this. So I’m asking all of you to speak out to the Ag Commissioner and please research methomyl. Thank you.
Ms. Cameron advocates for transitioning to organics and a one mile buffer zone around schools. She is a member of Safe Ag Safe Schools and Californians for Pesticide Reform.
Additional comments to Salinas City Council, August 18, 2026
https://fb.watch/J7iXsqNRr_/?mibextid=wwXIfr
(In her remarks, Ms. Cameron meant to say a one mile buffer zone is necessary)
Monterey Bay Matters 