Methyl Bromide Fumigation of Field Set to Begin Today

Despite protests from nearby residents concerned about health risks, the methyl bromide fumigation of a Camarillo strawberry field is scheduled to begin today at 6:30 a.m.

Hot weather postponed the application of the pesticide on Tuesday.

“When the inversion layer gets too low, you don’t get good air mix and movement,” said Earl McPhail, Ventura County’s agricultural commissioner. “Even though the field is tarped, we like to have good air flow.”

Residents of the Lamplighter Mobile Home Estates, who live adjacent to the 90-acre Nakama Ranch strawberry field, filed an appeal to halt the fumigation three weeks ago.

But state Department of Pesticide Regulation officials last week upheld the commissioner’s decision to proceed because they said the application was in compliance with all regulations.

The state’s pesticide regulators will take air samples every few minutes at varying distances from the field for 24 hours after the fumigation, McPhail said.

“After the initial 10 acres are fumigated, we will wait and see what the air samples show, which will take two to three days, and then we’ll see where we’ll go from there,” the commissioner said.

If no problems occur--and McPhail said he anticipates none--the remaining 80 acres will be fumigated beginning next week.

Meanwhile, Lamplighter residents remain fearful about potential health risks. Last summer, residents next to a 30-acre Ventura strawberry field complained of burning eyes, nausea, headaches and weakness after the area was fumigated.

The pesticide is injected into about 4,800 acres of soil each year in Ventura County.