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Three Northwest Companies Cited for Pesticide Violations

Release Date: 1/6/2005
Contact Information: Theresa Pimentel
[email protected]
(206) 553-0257

January 6, 2005

As part of an on-going regional campaign to insure compliance with federal pesticide regulation, EPA has issued Consent Agreement and Final Orders (CAFO) to three Pacific Northwest companies for violating Section 7 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Section 7 requires companies to submit Annual Pesticide Production Reports to EPA on March 1 of each year. Skylane Farms in Woodburn, Oregon, Pro-Energy Service System in Burley, Idaho, and Steritech LLC in Spokane Valley, Washington, each received CAFOs including pre-settlement agreements and penalties of $1000.

According to EPA officials:

Skylane Farms has submitted late annual pesticide production reports twice in the last three years. In 2002, Skylane Farms submitted their annual report to EPA on March 19. A Notice of Warning was issued on March 29, 2002, which notified the establishment that a civil penalty would be issued if their annual report was late in the future. Last year’s report, due to the EPA by March 1, 2004, was received on April 7, 2004.

Pro-Energy Service System was late in providing required annual pesticide production reports for the past two reporting years. In 2003, Pro-Energy Service System submitted their report to EPA on April 9th. EPA then issued the Company a “Notice of Warning” on August 20, 2003, which notified the establishment that a civil penalty would be issued if their annual report was late in the future. Last year=s annual report was received on May 28, 2004.

Steritech has submitted late annual pesticide production reports for the past two years. In 2003, Steritech LLC submitted their annual report to EPA June 17. A "Notice of Warning" was issued on August 20, 2003, which notified the establishment that a civil penalty would be issued if their annual report was late in the future. Last year’s report was received on December 1, 2004.

Penalties can be as high as $6500 for reporting violations. The pre-settlement agreement was reached at $1,000 because the companies are not currently producing pesticides and have agreed to cancel their establishment registrations.

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Related Links:

Region 10 Pesticides Program (yosemite.epa.gov/R10/ECOCOMM.NSF/webpage/Pesticides)
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (epa.gov/compliance/civil/programs/fifra/)

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