Ventura County Perspective : Preparedness Lessons From a Neighbor : A pesticide-related incident in New Cuyama suggests steps Ventura County could take to prevent a similar event.

In May, in the agricultural community of New Cuyama in Santa Barbara County, a pesticide drift incident prompted the evacuation and closure of New Cuyama Elementary School. Five school employees and 17 students suffered nausea, sinus headaches, sore throats, burning eyes, vomiting and fainting after being exposed to off-gassing of the toxic pesticide metam sodium, which had been applied to an adjacent agricultural field several days earlier.

What could have gone wrong did go wrong. Now, what lessons should Ventura County draw from this experience and what steps should it take to prevent such an incident from happening here?

The first lesson is that pesticides will continue to be used in violation of the law. Infractions such as the nine violations documented in this case put farm workers and children at risk. Even in cases where pesticides are used in accordance with the law, people run the risk of being exposed to dangerous levels. We should be extra cautious when it comes to pesticide use at or adjacent to schools because children are more vulnerable.

The second lesson is that emergency response agencies seem to be poorly trained to address pesticide incidents. In Santa Barbara County, the Sheriff’s Department responded to complaints of a foul odor making people sick. Officers suspected that odor was coming from a methamphetamine drug lab, despite the fact that the school is surrounded by farm fields. Further, although a deputy noticed the odor, experienced symptoms and saw “danger” signs posted in the field, he failed to make the connection and did not report the incident to the county agricultural commissioner--the official charged with enforcing pesticide regulations.

When the Santa Barbara County Fire Department was called for assistance, it appears that its response was not timely. When it received further complaints two days later, the school was evacuated and the county agricultural commissioner was called to investigate. Because of the delay, children and teachers may have been unnecessarily exposed for two extra days.

To the agricultural commissioner’s credit, he immediately implemented a one-mile buffer zone from occupied structures for sprinkler metam sodium applications. Unfortunately, farm workers were not afforded the same protection. If they happen to be working in adjacent fields, they are vulnerable to exposure.

The third lesson is that school officials are ill-prepared to respond to such incidents and may be reluctant to discuss the issue or even disclose information to the public. There were clear problems with the school’s notification to parents. Although school officials gave some children an evacuation notice stating, “The district is taking precautionary action to ensure the safety and health of the children,” they failed to mention pesticide exposure as the reason. Parents were not informed of symptoms to look for or how and where to seek medical care for their children. Further, the notice was written in English only despite the fact that a large percentage of the parents speak only Spanish.

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The final lesson Ventura County should draw from the New Cuyama incident is that county health officials were reluctant to alert the public about the pesticide drift incident, the symptoms associated with exposure and where to get medical treatment. Although the county health officer was notified, he chose not to notify doctors in the area that schoolchildren had been exposed to a pesticide and that doctors should be on the lookout for symptoms. Most kids never saw a doctor, including nine of the 17 known to have exhibited symptoms.

What does this mean for Ventura County?

It means that we cannot afford to ignore the potential impacts of pesticide use on farm workers, children and the public.

This incident provides an opportunity to learn. Ventura County should take steps to ensure strict compliance with all pesticide laws. Further, the agricultural commissioner should reach out and coordinate more with other county emergency response agencies and the county health department. School officials should develop and implement pesticide-specific response plans. Such plans should include parent notification in a manner and language accessible to all.

Ventura County should not wait for a New Cuyama-type incident to act. The health and safety of residents, particularly children, are at stake.