Hank Shaw | RecordNet.com

SACRAMENTO - Weird clouds of agricultural poisons wafting through rural neighborhoods will be a thing of the past if the head of the state agency that regulates pesticide use has her way.

Department of Pesticide Regulation Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam said Thursday she wants to eliminate major pesticide illness accidents in California.

A Record investigation in 2005 found local enforcement of state pesticide laws was spotty in the Central Valley. San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties fared poorly in the review, although each county has since stepped up its enforcement efforts.

A boost in money collected from pesticide makers and retailers - the department's largest source of funds - will help the agency add more inspectors and revive grants to groups using innovative pest-control methods, such as the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission.

"Governor Schwarzenegger's 2007 budget for DPR is the first step toward ending major pesticide incidents," Warmerdam said. "With this support, we'll aim for zero - no more major pesticide incidents on the farm or in urban settings."

On average, 50 serious pesticide incidents occur each year, ranging from improper use of pesticides by urban exterminators to massive drifting clouds of poison that can sicken whole towns.

Most agricultural injuries occur when the state's strict rules for pesticide use aren't followed, equipment is substandard, or through farmer or farm worker negligence. In one recent case in San Joaquin County, the Tracy-based crop-dusting company Trinkle Ag Flying sprayed the pesticide Vanguard not only on a passing motorist but on a county inspector called to the scene by the victim a few hours later.

Up until 2005, county agriculture commissioners - the "crop cops" on the front line of enforcement - levied few fines for violations. That appears to be changing.

San Joaquin County Agricultural Commissioner Scott Hudson fined Trinkle $2,000. Trinkle appealed, but the state upheld the fine.

Warmerdam says her primary goal is to keep people safe. Since she took office, the agency has required local ag commissioners to fine violators when any injury occurs; that had not happened in the past.

"Ultimately, all DPR regulatory efforts are focused on protecting our people and sustaining our environment," she said. "We will always strive to do more, but setting a goal to eliminate major incidents is a worthy place to begin. California's people and their environment deserve this commitment."

Warmerdam also said her agency expects to announce new restrictions on fumigants later this year, which she hopes will reduce drift accidents and help meet clean-air rules.

Farm worker advocates called the agency's move a step in the right direction.

"We are happy to see Warmerdam's proposed budget move back towards more enforcement and integrated pest management," said Martha Guzman, a lobbyist for the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation. "They are both essential."