(Wines&Vines) - Vineyard owners and management companies often face new regulations and laws for their workers, but an unusual number will encounter them in the next few years.

“There have been more changes to the rules and regulations in the past six months than I’ve seen in the past 10 years,” José Chang, deputy agricultural commissioner for Napa County, stated during a talk he gave at the Rootstock meeting last week. And, he warned, “More are coming.”

Rootstock is the vine and wine symposium held by the Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ Association each year, and Chang’s talk was one of numerous updates presented to growers and winemakers among supplier displays.

While emphasizing that the local office focuses on working with growers rather than penalizing violators, Chang said state and federal inspectors also monitor and enforce worker-safety regulations.

Chang discussed a number of regulations and also provided statistics about violations.

New restrictions on chlorpyrifos

The California Department of Pesticide Regulations (CDPR) added the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos to its list of restricted materials effective July 1, 2015.

This action affected about 30 products registered and sold in California. Chang says that the chemical is little used in Napa County, but it is most common in the pesticide Lorsban used to control vine mealybugs.

Now that it is restricted, chlorpyrifos can only be applied by a qualified applicator that holds pest control adviser (PCA), qualified applicator license (QAL) or private applicator certificate (PAC) training.

That person must get a restricted material permit from the ag commissioner’s office to buy, use or possess the pesticide.