Rules & Legislation Committee
April 20, 2023

2646873v8 / Attorney Initials - updated 12/28/2021
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY ________________________ CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. _______________ C.M.S. INTRODUCED BY COUNCILMEMBER KALB RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY BILL 363 (BAUER- KAHAN) THAT WOULD PROTECT BEES, CLEAN WATER, PEOPLE, AND THE FUTURE OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY BY REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION TO COMPLETE AN EVALUATION OF THE USE OF NEONICOTINOID (NEONIC) PESTICIDES ON TURF AND ORNAMENTAL PLANTS IN NON-AGRICULTURAL SETTINGS. WHEREAS, Neonicotinoids are the world’s most widely used insecticides, and incredibly toxic to insects—just one square foot of grass treated with a neonic lawn product can contain enough neonics to kill one million bees. Most of the chemicals stay in the soil, where they can remain for years and are easily carried by rain or lawn watering into water supplies; and WHEREAS, Neonicotinoid pesticides are routinely used despite their devastating effects on pollinator health and biodiversity and risks to human wellbeing; and WHEREAS, California Department of Pesticide Regulation monitoring detected imidacloprid—the most common neonic in non-agricultural settings—in 92% of water samples taken in urban areas of southern California and 58% of urban samples in northern California; and WHEREAS, California beekeepers lost 41.9% of their colonies last year, one of the worst years on record; and WHEREAS, an overwhelming body of research links pollinator declines to the use of pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids; and WHEREAS, studies on humans and animals have connected neonics to reproductive and developmental impacts; and WHEREAS, California State Assembly Bill 363 would require the Department of Pesticide Regulation to complete an evaluation and finalize regulations for the use of neonicotinoid (neonic) pesticides on turf and ornamental plants in non-agricultural settings. It would require the department to include both human health and pollinator health impacts in its evaluation to get a complete picture of the risks these pose; now, therefore, be it 2 RESOLVED: That the City Council hereby endorses AB 363 and urges the California State Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom to support its enactment into law. IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE: AYES - FIFE, GALLO, KALB, KAPLAN, REID, TAYLOR, THAO AND PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS NOES – ABSENT – ABSTENTION – ATTEST: ASHA REED City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the City of Oakland, California