SALEM, Oregon – The Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon Health Authority are seeking applicants for the public member position on the Oregon Pesticide Analytical Response Center Board. The deadline to apply is August 15, 2020. The directors of the Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will jointly appoint the person selected to fill the position.
“We are looking for individuals who are open to learning more about pesticide issues in Oregon, who are listeners and communicators, and who can help PARC effectively relay information and services to the public we serve,” says ODA Director Alexis Taylor.
The Pesticide Analytical and Response Center (PARC) was created by executive order in 1978 and was reauthorized under the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) in 1991. PARC serves as a single point of contact for anyone who wishes to report a pesticide incident or concern. Calls to PARC are accepted 24 hours a day via 211info, and receive a response from PARC within one business day.
- The PARC board meets six times per year and usually rotates between Salem and Portland.
- Meetings include discussions about pesticide incidents, after-action reviews of responses to pesticide incidents, and discussions about strategies to prevent and more effectively respond to pesticide incidents in the future.
- PARC’s primary functions are to coordinate investigations and collect and analyze information about reported incidents.
- Member agencies conduct investigations and take any necessary enforcement action(s). The eight-member agencies include the following: Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODF&W), Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OR OSHA), Office of the State Fire Marshal (SFM), Oregon Poison Center (OPC), Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). Inter-governmental agreements (IGAs) between PARC and each member agency details how PARC and the member agencies will coordinate pesticide-related investigations.
- PARC also collaborates with consultants from the Oregon Department of Transportation, and toxicology consultants from both the Oregon Health and Sciences University, and Oregon State University.
Those interested in applying for the public member seat on the Pesticide Analytical Response Center (PARC) Board must complete an application form. The application form may be found on PARC’s webpage.
For additional information, contact: Rose Kachadoorian, Pesticide Program Manager (503) 986-4651 rkachadoorian@oda.state.or.us
