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U.S. EPA TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS ON ROSE GROWING PESTICIDE USE

Release Date: 11/20/1996
Contact Information: Dave Schmidt, U.S. EPA, (415) 744-1578

EVENTS:  The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) will host three public meetings for rose workers and growers next week on a proposed exception to the Worker Protection Standard, the federal regulation designed to protect agricultural workers from pesticide poisoning. This exception would allow workers to pick roses by hand before the end of the restricted entry interval -- the time after a pesticide application during which entry to the treated area is restricted. Currently, the regulation does not allow any hand labor during the restricted entry interval.

     U.S. EPA  wants to listen to workers and growers. The Agency particularly welcomes comments on the risk to workers if rose picking is allowed during the restricted entry interval, and the economic costs to the rose growing industry if the regulation prevents picking during this interval.

     Agricultural workers in the cut-rose industry are invited to two of the meetings, and rose growers are invited to the third.

WHERE/WHEN:

November 25, 1996  (meeting for workers)
6:30 - 8:00 PM Rural Development Center
               1700 Old Stage Rd. Salinas

November 25, 1996  (meeting for workers)
4:00 - 5:30 PM Senior Center
               29A Bishop St. Pajaro

November 26, 1996  (meeting for growers)
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Extension Auditorium
                   1432 Freedom Blvd.  Watsonville

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL:  Kay Rudolph, U.S. EPA
                            (415) 744-1065
                            or (415) 744-1087

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