By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois State Sen. David Koehler (D-Peoria) was named chair of a new Senate subcommittee to be formed in response to concern about farm chemical drift from the public and a group of specialty and organic crop growers – including aerial applications of pesticides.

The committee was formed after a 4.5-hour public meeting called by Sen. Michael Frerichs (D-Champaign), chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Conservation, on Sept. 30 at the Capitol Building in Springfield.

As chair of the unnamed subcommittee, Koehler said the group would research new mandatory notification laws recently implemented in the state of Maine, which require aerial applicators and farmers to register and provide advance warning to neighbors before spraying crop fields.

“Agriculture is one of America’s most important industries. We need to help farmers achie...