By Donna Westfall – December 11, 2024 Ever wondered what would happen if the pesticides sprayed on the fields in Smith River were to affect your health? At Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting December 10th, Alicia Williams spoke during public comment about the BOS protecting our health. One of the areas that needs attention is the use of pesticides in Smith River. There's a California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) that lists out information on their website which includes a 36-page booklet ( or you can download it at: cdpr.ca.gov/docs/dept/comguide/index.htm) while they list out the safe use of pesticides in California. However, there could be a downside to pesticides. Because while pesticides are supposed to kill pests, it can also affect humans. How are people exposed to pesticides? People can be exposed to pesticides in three ways: * Breathing (inhalation exposure). * Getting it into the mouth or digestive tract (oral exposure). * Contact with the skin or eyes (dermal exposure). From their booklet – "After you have handled any medical emergency, you may want to write down what happened. The form beginning on page 30 will help you make notes. If you don’t have the form handy, here are the general things you should write down: * When and where the incident happened. * Who was involved (if you know). * What you saw. * What you smelled, if anything. * Names and symptoms of anyone who was sick. Remember: You can file your complaint anonymously with your Agricultural Commissioner, if you wish. But it helps the county’s follow-up investigation if you leave your contact information. You can also ask the county to send you written information on the outcome of the investigation." Our County Agricultural Commissioner is Justin Riggs. He can be contacted at: 236 Williams Dr. in Crescent City. Telephone # 707 464 0878. Should you be involved in exposure to pesticides that may have affected your health, please contact Linda Sutter via email at: l_sutter@yahoo.com.