Torres pest management bill signed into law

OLYMPIA — A pair of bills authored by Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, and currently making their way through the state legislature, will change how Washington state regulates and oversees the regulation of pesticides and other crop protection products, according to a press release from Torres’ office.

The press release said the first measure, Senate Bill 5143, was signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday and changes the name of the Commission on Pesticide Registration to the Commission on Integrated Pest Management. The new law also adds a non-voting member – a specialist in pesticide management from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 10, which covers the Pacific Northwest – to its 12-member commission.

According to the press release, the bill is the first measure written and sponsored by Torres to get to the governor’s desk for signing. After last year’s statewide redistricting, Torres represents the southwest portion of Adams County – including Othello – and the southern portion of Grant County.

Another Torres measure, Senate Bill 5330, is also nearing a final vote in the Washington House of Representatives, the press release said. The measure will give the director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture the power to revoke a pesticide application license based on the decision of another jurisdiction and would remove the requirement that people applying for pesticide application licenses be at least 16 years old, according to the press release.

“This bill is critical to the safety and well-being of both the user and those living in the general vicinity of the widespread use of crop-protection products,” Torres said in the press release. “It is the first step in implementing Washington’s EPA-approved plan to ensure that pesticides are used safely, with minimal negative impacts to health and the environment.”