Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill authored by state Assemblymember Alex Lee aimed at reducing the racial and socioeconomic disparities of pesticide exposure.
“AB 652 will create an avenue for communities most impacted by pesticide exposure to be heard,” said Lee, whose district includes Milpitas, in a statement. “Historically, these communities have not had the opportunity to provide meaningful input on pesticide policies and programs, and it’s high time for (the Department of Pesticide Regulation) to create an Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. This committee will play an important role in advancing health and environmental equity in California.”
Under AB 652, this committee will be formed by Jan. 1, 2026, and will recommend ways for the state to integrate environmental justice considerations into its decision-making processes. The committee will consist of up to 11 members including environmental justice leaders who represent rural and urban communities with the most significant exposure to pesticides; at least one representative of Native American, tribal or indigenous groups; at least one farmworker advocate; up to one person with expertise in issues affecting socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers; and up to one agroecologist or biologist with an environmental justice background.
Pesticide exposure is linked to a range of short-term and long-term health effects, such as increased risk of certain cancers, birth defects and respiratory illness. But researchers have also underscored the disproportionate exposure to pesticide use across California’s communities. For instance, more than 95% of agricultural pesticide use in California occurred in 60% of ZIP codes with the highest proportion of residents of color, according to a 2015 study by the National Library of Medicine.