Footage of EPA officers collecting berry samples for testing: https://bit.ly/3LIsChF
Yesterday NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) officers were on the ground in the Coffs Harbour and Nambucca regions conducting a pesticides compliance blitz at berry farms in the area.
Around 20 blueberry and raspberry farms were inspected over the course of the day, with officers focusing on compliance with a range of pesticide regulations, including appropriate storage, record-keeping, training, and application practices.
NSW EPA Executive Director of Operations Steve Beaman said the operation is part of the EPA’s regular pesticide compliance activities, which involve unannounced inspections at farms across NSW.
“As the state’s key environmental regulator our focus is on ensuring registered pesticides are used in accordance with regulations to minimise any potential impacts on the environment,” Mr Beaman said.
“As well as checking compliance with pesticide use and storage, we have also collected berry samples from some of the farms for further testing.
“These samples will be tested to determine if any unregistered or banned chemicals are present and to ensure the use of pesticide product in our environment is consistent with the product label.
“Misuse of pesticides or application inconsistent with the label is an offence.
“We understand pesticide use on the Mid-North Coast is a key concern for the community and we maintain strong regulatory oversight across the region.
“We will continue to carry out regular compliance inspections of horticultural operations to ensure ongoing compliance with pesticide regulations.”
In addition to our regular compliance campaigns, we have also begun a water quality monitoring project on the Mid North Coast as part of efforts to better understand the presence of pesticides in the region’s waterways.
We expect to publish initial water sampling results from the monitoring campaign on our website in coming weeks.
NB – the EPA regulates the use of pesticides in NSW for environmental protection. It does not monitor or regulate food safety.
EPA MEDIA | DANIELLE WILLIAMS | 0448 196 606
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