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MOTION BY SUPERVISOR JANICE HAHN
Enhancing Regulatory Coordination for Methyl Bromide Emissions
The Los Angeles County (County) Department of Agricultural Commissioner/ Weights and Measures (ACWM) is responsible for protecting consumers, businesses, and the agricultural industry by ensuring equity in the marketplace and preventing the spread of invasive pests. As part of their agricultural protection, they enforce state laws to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive insects, rodents, birds, weeds, and plant diseases that could damage local crops and the environment. The department also monitors and regulates the use of pesticides by both private and professional applicators to ensure safety and compliance.
The Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles (Ports) act as critical gateways for US agricultural trade. Hundreds of thousands of metric tons of fruits and vegetables are imported annually. The Port of Los Angeles processes a significant volume of imports, including grapes and stone fruit from Chile and various fruits from Asia. Soon after these commodities arrive at our ports, they need to be swiftly treated to ensure the safety of our consumers. There are 13 facilities located around the Ports that actively fumigate these products using Methyl Bromide. Five more facilities are permitted but are not currently active.
Methyl Bromide is a pesticide used to fumigate commodity agricultural products, controlling pests like insects and rodents. It kills insects, mites, fungi, weeds, rodents, and their eggs by disrupting basic cellular processes. It is an odorless gas that penetrates deeply into commodities and packaging in a way that sprays or surface treatments cannot. It is also a hazardous air pollutant and toxic air contaminant. Studies have shown that exposure to Methyl Bromide may cause damage to the brain and nervous system.
At the federal level, Methyl Bromide is regulated by the United State Environmental Protect...
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