The State - News from June 4, 1986

Uniroyal Chemical Co. plans to recall about 20,000 pounds of a pesticide suspected of causing skin rashes among orange pickers in California orchards, a company official said. The company is acting even though the state Food and Agriculture Department is undecided about how to handle the mite-killing chemical Omite CR. The company will collect unsold packages from distributors, sales representative Neil Budge said. This is the first season the time-release mix was widely used on California citrus. Tulare County officials report 112 farm workers complained last month of burning neck rashes and other symptoms of chemical exposure after working at orchards in the Lindsay area. State investigators suspect the time-release aspect of the chemical allowed it to linger on foliage longer than scientists expected.