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HAWAIIAN FARMER CHARGED WITH MISAPPLYING PESTICIDE
Release Date: 05/27/99
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, MAY 27 1999
HAWAIIAN FARMER CHARGED WITH MISAPPLYING PESTICIDE
Kap Dong Kim, proprietor of a ginger root farm in Hilo, Hawaii, was indicted on May 20 in U.S. District Court in Honolulu on charges of misapplying the restricted use pesticide, Nemacur, to his ginger root crop in violation of the Federal Pesticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. Nemacur is prohibited for use on ginger root. Kim, who is not a certified applicator, allegedly directed workers to make the pesticide application without complying with required standards for worker protection. One worker suffered acute poisoning and had to be hospitalized. Kim also was charged with making false statements to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture about the type of pesticide he was using. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum term of up to 10 years 2 months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $520,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture with the assistance of EPA’s National Enforcement Investigations Center and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice. Civil charges against Kim are pending.
R-56 ###
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