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new report on IPM in California schools



Below is the text of a press release form the California Department of
Pesticide Regulation, announcing a new report titled "Overview of Pest
Management Policies, Programs, and Practices in Selected California Public
School Districts".  For a free copy of the report contact: Department of
Pesticide Regulation, Environmental Monitoring and Pest Management Branch,
1020 N Street, Sacramento 95814, phone (916) 324-4100. Or you can contact
the author, Sewell Simmons, at ssimmons@cdpr.ca.gov.  An electronic copy is
also available on DPR's Internet Web page (http://www.cdpr.ca.gov), in the
Publications section.

Kathy Brunetti
Environmental Monitoring and Pest Management
California Department of Pesticide Regulation
(916) 324-4100
brunetti@empm.cdpr.ca.gov

SCHOOLS FINDING NEW SOLUTIONS FOR WHAT BUGS `EM

SACRAMENTO -- Quietly and without fanfare, public school districts
throughout the state are developing and adopting innovative ways to control
insects, rodents, weeds and other pests. However, progress is sometimes
stymied by technical, institutional or economic constraints, according to a
report released this week by Cal/EPA's Department of Pesticide Regulation.


"This is what we found when we surveyed the state's school districts about
their pest management practices, policies and programs," said Paul
Gosselin, DPR Assistant Director for Enforcement, Environmental Monitoring
and Data Management.

"Most district pest management supervisors were eager to share their
experiences with us, and they were also looking for information on what
other districts were doing," said Gosselin.

"That's why we've mailed a copy of the report to each of the state's 1,002
school districts," Gosselin said.

Schools throughout the state face the same kinds of problems, Gosselin
said. "They have similar facilities, situations and pests. We hope that
they can all benefit and learn from the pest management experiences of one
another, and the innovative solutions."

The survey found that virtually every district was doing something
innovative. Among the many examples cited in the report:

       Student, staff, and community involvement. Schools in the Placer
Hills Union and Folsom-Cordova Unified School Districts (in Placer and
Sacramento Counties, respectively) involve students in recycling
containers, paper, food leftovers, and landscape waste. The school donates
the recycled material to community organizations and local farms. The
program cleans up school grounds and eliminates hiding places and food
sources for pests. Because solid waste was decreased, local government in
Placer Hills gave cash rewards to the school for fewer garbage pickups
needed.

       Community relations. In Alameda County's New Haven Unified School
District, the pest manager has regular meetings with administrators to keep
them fully informed of pest problems and control actions. As a result,
principals and administrators become knowledgeable about integrated pest
management (IPM) and are better prepared to answer questions from the
community about pest management programs.

       Safety. In several school districts (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified,
Los Angeles Unified, and Riverside Unified), pesticides are purchased only
in the amount needed for each project to avoid potential problems with
storage. And the Los Angeles Unified School District has found that two-way
radios are an important safety feature allowing staff to call  immediately
for help in emergency situations.

       Pest management strategy. Merced County's Livingston Union School
District works with vendors to ensure that delivery trucks do not introduce
pests to schools. Some contracts between vendors and districts require
vendors to keep pests out of delivery vehicles and containers. Some
districts will refuse to accept delivery if there is evidence of pests in
trucks or containers. Preventing pest problems is a key IPM tactic.

       Cost-effectiveness. Tree maintenance companies dump their wood chips
free at Alameda  County's Fremont Unified School District headquarters. The
chips are then used as mulch for weed suppression at various schools. The
area's correctional work furlough program provides labor to spread the
chips.

One of the greatest constraints, the survey found, was that pest management
programs often do not have a high priority in district budgetary decisions.
Ideally, pest management stresses pest prevention, but long-term prevention
activities often do not have budgetary priority. The greatest concern of
many districts was getting technical information suited to the special
requirements of school grounds maintenance. Lack of communication between
school districts was cited as a barrier to sharing information on effective
pest management strategies and techniques.

The report recommends that each school district implement a written pest
management policy, following guidelines set out in a 1993 U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency publication about school pest control. (In
1994, DPR mailed a copy of the booklet to each of the state's school
districts.) The report also recommends that DPR help provide information on
training programs, worker safety requirements, and pesticide laws and
regulations to interested school districts.

"DPR will also continue to use its IPM Innovator awards program to
recognize school districts that are providing leadership in establishing
and promoting reduced-risk pest management systems as working models for
other districts" said Gosselin. In 1994, DPR presented IPM Innovator awards
to the Los Angeles Unified, Fremont Unified, and San Diego City Unified
School Districts.

DPR is the state's lead agency in regulating all aspects of pesticide sales
and use to protect public health and the environment. DPR's mission is to
evaluate and mitigate impacts of pesticide use, maintain the safety of the
pesticide workplace, and encourage the development and use of reduced-risk
pest control practices while recognizing the need for pest management in a
healthy economy.

The survey was conducted to obtain information on how schools were dealing
with pest management problems and identify ways DPR could encourage and
facilitate the adoption or improvement of integrated pest management
programs and policies in schools. (IPM is an approach to managing pests
that combines biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way
that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks.) The survey was
conducted in cooperation with the State Department of Education. All
districts were surveyed by mail, and DPR conducted personal interviews in
selected districts throughout the state.

For a free copy of the report, Overview of Pest Management Policies,
Programs, and Practices in Selected California Public School Districts,"
contact: Department of Pesticide Regulation, Environmental Monitoring and
Pest Management Branch, 1020 N Street, Sacramento 95814, phone (916)
324-4100. An electronic copy is also available on DPR's Internet Web page
(http://www.cdpr.ca.gov).