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NOTE
TO EDITORS: This is to clarify language that appeared
in a news release issued Monday, Sept. 27.
FRANKFORT,
Ky. — NaturChem North, a
national pesticide company with Kentucky offices in
Lawrenceburg, has begun paying fines after being cited
by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture for violations
involving a restricted-use pesticide.
The
$194,200 assessment is believed to be the largest ever
set by KDA pesticide regulators, said Agriculture Commissioner
Richie Farmer. Under the settlement agreement, the company
will pay 10 percent of the assessed fine and serve two
years probation. During that time the entire fine becomes
immediately payable if NaturChem is found to have committed
any new violations, said Ken Franks, branch manager
for the KDA Division of Environmental Services.
The
fine penalized 809 incidents in which the company violated
regulations as it applied restricted-use pesticides
to rights-of-way for power and gas lines, Franks said.
The violations took place in Kentucky and southern
Ohio.
Violations
included failure to follow label directions of a pesticide
and distributing restricted use pesticides to applicators
not certified to handle them, Franks said.
The
pesticide Atrazine, one of the chemicals involved, has
high potential to contaminate the water table if used
improperly, he said.
The
company has since brought its operations back into compliance,
Franks noted.
“I'm
glad to know that the company has come back into compliance,
and that the terms of its probation strongly encourage
them to handle pesticides safely and legally,” Commissioner
Farmer said.
He
praised the spirit of cooperation in which the company
and KDA resolved the issues. “We don't want to be unreasonable
or drive companies out of business, but pesticides must
be handled responsibly for everyone's benefit,” the
Commissioner continued.
KDA's
Division of Environmental Services regulates Kentucky
pest control companies, lawn care businesses, pesticide
dealers, golf course groundskeepers and pesticide applicators.
The division also trains, licenses and certifies pesticide
companies and controls pesticide products marketed in
Kentucky.
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