04
Jun
Oregon Levies New Higher Penalties for Pesticide Use Violations
(Beyond Pesticides, June 4, 2009) Five onion growers in the state of Oregon have been issued civil penalties totaling $180,000 by the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) for using pesticide products not approved for onions. According to the department, the violations resulted from gross negligence and willful misconduct by the pesticide users, who were fined the maximum penalty. The penalties reflect the new broader authority to impose higher penalties for pesticide violations. The sanctions levied in this case are as a result of the use of the new authority granted to the ODA by the 2007 Legislature in fining Oregon growers $10,000 per violation. The department must determine a violation was willful and negligent to issue the $10,000 maximum fine. The previous maximum fine in Oregon was $1,000 for a first violation and $2,000 for a repeat violation. The Oregon growers were fined the maximum in 18 infractions. ODA tested 86 samples of soil, weeds, onion foliage and bulbs from 60 fields in uncovering 18 positive tests. The investigations were initiated based on a tip. The pesticides, bentazon (trade name Basagran) and carbofuran (trade name Furadan), were illegally used on 18 fields during the 2008 growing season, and were found […]
