2019 has started with a bang! Governor Newsom was just sworn in and has already begun to make a mark. One of his first actions was to appoint Jared Blumenfeld as the Secretary of California EPA. Blumenfeld used to hold the Federal EPA Region 9 Administrator position (the local area enforcement of EPA) formally appointed by President Obama. These changes give us an idea as to how quickly the new governor will act and what direction he will lean as part of these actions. Another action of consequence, Director Brian Leahy of DPR has been asked to pursue other opportunities leaving that position with the Acting Director Teresa Marks, who was the Chief Deputy Director.

    There is also talk amongst our legislative friends for another bill addressing rodenticides. We still do not know who will sponsor it or what it will look like, but we think that there is a good chance that we will see another one this year. DPR is starting their Re-Evaluation on Second Generation Anti-Coagulent Rodenticides. This multi-year process will take a look the potential environmental impacts of these products and make any adjustments in uses if needed. But with both of these actions, extra attention is on these products, so our industry must continue to steward them to ensure that they are used correctly.

    It appears that we are entering a time of extra attention from our regulatory and legislative governing bodies. We must use all of our tools legally and consistent with the label and prescribed regulatory language. Please make plans to attend this year’s PCOC Legislative Days on April 8-10. There is no better person to talk with your legislator than you. See you all in Sacramento! 

 

Darren Van Steenwyk, M.S., BCE
Structural Pest Control Board, President
LEED Green Associate & Technical Director, Clark Pest Control
darrenv@clarkpest.com

 

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As many of you know, there has been great interest in Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) exams. The Structural Pest Control Board has some UPCOMING EXAMINATION DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS. These workshops help the SPCB develop their licensing questions. We know this is a busy time of year for us all, but our input is important, so we hope you can participate or send someone you work with! 
Here is a list of upcoming workshops organized by license type: 

Branch 3 - Operator

Item Review Workshop - January 29-30, 2019

Exam Construction Workshop - February 12-13, 2019

Exam Construction Workshop - April 9-10, 2019

 

Branch 3 - Field Representative

Exam Construction Workshop - February 5-6, 2019

 

Branch 2 - Operator

Exam Construction Workshop - January 15-16, 2019

 

Branch 2 - Field Representative

Exam Construction Workshop - November 14-15, 2018

 
Visit California Structural Pest Control Board website for more information