The fear around pesticides originates from misunderstandings and unscientific, exaggerated propaganda designed to ban the use of agri-chemicals. This fear needs to be resolved with education, so we can safely and reasonably protect our families, farmworkers, and communities from pesticides.

Regrettably, some Washington legislators have already bought into this fear and developed harmful legislation, like the four-day pesticide spray notification requirement and the reporting database. Luckily, the final bill was altered to be a workgroup to address pesticide application safety. Hopefully the education occurring at the workgroup meetings will reduce fear and prevent future, unneeded regulation and encourage voluntary communication programs and pesticide safety education.

At the first meeting of the Washington State Pesticide Application Safety Workgroup, Washington aerial applicator business owner and mom, Erin Morse said, “I’m a mom and so I’m not interested in seeing pesticides spread all over. I’m not interested in seeing my kids run through that. We’re talking about safe things because we live where we work… We’re very passionate about safety: for our pilots, for our crew, for the people we are working around… We are also interested in keeping our environment safe because that’s where our kids are going to live too. I’m not interested in making a place where my kids can’t live.”

Later this summer, WPC had a chance to visit with Erin and Gavin Morse at their operation in Warden, Washington. For them safety isn’t just a talking point, but it is a way of life. They take safety so seriously that they will shower and change their clothes before giving their kids a hug at the end of a work day. But the concern they have for safety is no different than other aerial applicators.

According to Erin Morse, “Most pilots are dads and members of the community. They recognize these crops are people’s livelihood. They get that their business is helping someone else’s business. They understand that farmworkers are also members of the community because our kids play together. The pilots are always looking for the workers and are interested in keeping the people on the ground safety, in addition to the safety of the crop and the surrounding crops.”

The concern for safety involves extra flying time, which costs $1,200 per hour to fly, to scout fields before filling up with product at the hangar and scouting again before application to ensure no person is in the field. Then everything is documented, including weather, pictures, and people, to prove that they were safe. Safety also happens across the state’s aerial applicator industry with an annual safety fly-in  to test their equipment and update the industry on new technology and practices.

According to multiple aerial applicators, one thing missing from the safety requirements that can be improved is that workers should wear bright orange clothing, instead of the popular camouflage, for easier visibility. Even if this simple change is made, pilots and ground crew will continue to scout to ensure that no person is hit with pesticides. Pilots are looking for people and for cars and equipment that might indicate farmworkers are present. 

During her testimony, Erin said, “During the season we will send people out to monitor at the field because we have had instances, where you had someone neighboring and the wind is away, so they are safe, and they will enter the work area. We have to get out and say, ’No! Out! You have to get out. You are not safe right now.’”

Pesticide safety education will help farmworkers, the public, and lawmakers understand the safety measures that already exist within the farming community. Voluntary education programs, not regulation, will help protect family businesses like the Morse’s, farmworkers, and family farms.

Photo Credit: Francis Zera/ zeraphoto.com