‘No More Medfly Fiascoes,’ Deukmejian Vows

Gov. George Deukmejian, in a campaign-like trip to the farm-rich San Joaquin Valley, promised California growers Wednesday that there will be “no more Medfly fiascoes” as long as he is the state’s chief executive.

In a speech to the Visalia Agricultural Symposium, the governor took an indirect slap at his predecessor, Democrat Edmund G. Brown Jr., for not moving swiftly to approve pesticide spraying during the state’s Mediterranean fruit fly infestation four years ago. Deukmejian declared that he would have no such reservations.

“As long as I am governor, there will be no more Medfly fiascoes,” he said. “I have confidence in the experts in our Department of Food and Agriculture to make sure that pesticides are used safely and effectively.

“When a threat to our crops is detected, our policy is to act swiftly. This not only saves valuable crops but it is also best for the environment because quick and early action often results in the use of less pesticide.”

Deukmejian also defended his decision not to include regulation of pesticides under jurisdiction of his proposed new department of waste management.

‘Toughest ... Regulations’

Plans for the new department are before the state’s Little Hoover Commission.

“As far as I’m concerned, the regulation of pesticides should remain the primary responsibility of the Department of Food and Agriculture,” the governor said. “This department already administers the toughest pesticide regulations in the nation. It makes little sense to dilute this responsibility by creating a duplication of effort, which could hinder our quick response to infestations and would confuse local agricultural authorities by forcing them to deal with more than one state agency.”

Environmentalists and other critics of the governor’s proposal argue that the Food and Agriculture Deparment is too favorably disposed to agriculture to adequately enforce pesticide regulations.

Deukmejian told his overwhelmingly friendly audience that such complaints are not justified.

“The simple fact is that pesticides aren’t waste,” he said. “Should the residue from a pesticide become involved in a potential toxic hazard, then our waste management department would be involved.”

Tours Lindsay Plant

Earlier in the day Wednesday, Deukmejian, wearing an orange-and-white baseball cap, toured the Lindsay plant of the California Citrus Producers Inc. cooperative, where construction of a $2.1-million sewage treatment system last year saved more than 200 jobs.

The cooperative had earlier shut down part of its Lindsay area operations because its sewage system violated water quality control standards.

The new system was financed by federal, state and local government and private enterprise, including a $600,000 grant from the state Community Block Grant Program administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development.

“Everybody is a winner as a result of this kind of effort,” Deukmejian said.