State Pesticide Regulators Put Fumigation on Hold

State pesticide regulators Tuesday decided to tentatively delay plans scheduled for today to fumigate a 90-acre Camarillo strawberry field with methyl bromide.

Earlier in the day, Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner Earl McPhail denied an appeal to halt the fumigation filed by residents who live next to the strawberry field at the Lamplighter Mobile Home Estates.

McPhail told residents their request was denied because the planned application of the chemical was in compliance with all laws and regulations.

But state pesticide regulators decided they needed more time to review the commissioner’s decision and the Lamplighter Home Owners Assn. appeal.

“We are not second-guessing county action, but we need to make sure they considered all the information when they made their decision,” said Paul Gosselin, assistant director of the state Department of Pesticide Regulation.

Gosselin said he will decide this week whether to allow the fumigation to proceed or to delay it pending a public hearing.

But Vicky Corey, president of the homeowners group, said she doesn’t want the mobile home residents to be used as “guinea pigs.”

Corey said that after taking a survey of the park’s 400 residents, she found that 93 people are over age 65, 56 are in preschool, 94 have allergies, four use oxygen tanks and 54 have respiratory problems.

“This is a very serious thing,” Corey said. “There are four types of people more susceptible to adverse health effects from this and those are the aged, very young, people with chemical allergies and those with respiratory ailments.”