3 p.m. Tuesday in Fresno
Gerawan farm workers deliver petition demanding ag commissioner immediately investigate latest pesticide spraying incident
Fresno—Dozens of Gerawan farm workers and supporters will hand deliver a petition with more than 15,000 signatures demanding the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner immediately investigate a pesticide drift incident that happened in February.
Gerawan workers were pruning in company peach orchards on Feb. 22, when during their break, a neighboring almond farmer was spraying his orchard with pesticides, causing the Gerawan workers to become sick. After their break, workers were asked to return to work after some came down with nausea and other poisoning symptoms without first undergoing any thorough medical examination for exposure and without being given the opportunity to change clothing sprayed with pesticides.
This is the second time Gerawan workers have recently been exposed to pesticides. In August 2013, workers were sickened after being sent to work in an area next to a field that had been sprayed with pesticides by Gerawan applicators. It took the agricultural commissioner’s office 15 months to investigate the incident and rule Gerawan’s actions violated the law.
The petition was posted on United Farm Workers’ social media and shared on the social change network websites MoveOn and CREDO.
Who: Dozens of Gerawan farm workers and supporters.
What: Asking the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner’s office to immediately investigate a Feb. 22, 2016 pesticide drift incident during which Gerawan workers were pruning in Gerawan’s peach orchards when a neighboring almond farm sprayed its orchard with pesticides, causing Gerawan workers to become sick.
When: 3 p.m., Tuesday, March 15, 2016.
Where: Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner’s office, 1720 So. Maple Ave., Fresno 93702.
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