Conference Agenda

In 2015, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation implemented restrictions on certain pesticide products to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV). Specifically, the new regulation prohibited the use of high-VOC products containing abamectin, chlorpyrifos, gibberellins, and oxyfluorfen during the peak ozone season, May to October, for seven major crops: alfalfa, almond, citrus, cotton, grape, pistachio, and walnut. This study evaluates the regulation’s effectiveness in reducing peak-season VOC emissions and its impacts on other environmental and health hazards, including air, water, soil, pollinator health, and human health. Using monthly and annual data on pesticide use from 2010 to 2018 and a regression discontinuity design, we analyze the crop-specific effects of the regulation. We find that total VOC emissions from all targeted crops decreased by 25.8% during the peak season, with notable variations across crops. While the regulation reduced VOC emissions during the peak season and year-round, we observe year-round increases in almost all other hazards post-implementation, suggesting that the regulation reduced VOC emissions at the expense of increasing other hazards for all crops. Additionally, the regulation proved costly, leading to a $296.83 million increase (in 2018 US dollars) in annual total pest management costs, equal to 1.7% of the annual average of total revenues from the targeted crops post-implementation.