Structural fumigation accounts for most of the remainder of the methyl bromide use in California.
Under the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has prohibited the production and importation of methyl bromide starting January 1, 2005. Thus, this widely used pesticide for the production and export of high value crops and commodities in California will be lost within the next few years. Several potential chemical and non-chemical alternatives to methyl bromide have been identified nationally and internationally and some of these alternatives are currently being evaluated in California. However, none of the alternatives have been adequately shown to be as effective or economical as methyl bromide within California farming systems. The RFP was released in early November 1998.