Court: Parts of pesticide program violate California law

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California appeals court has ruled that a state-run pest prevention program partly violates California’s landmark environmental law. The Friday ruling from the California 3rd District Court of Appeal targets a program run by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The department is tasked with preventing the introduction and spread of insects and pests, noxious weeds and plant disease. Several environmental groups sued over a 2014 program that aims to streamline approval for spraying. The court says the state isn’t properly notifying the public or conducting site-specific reviews before spraying.