LITTLE ROCK –The Pesticide Committee of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s State Plant Board met July 30 to discuss and approve enforcement actions regarding violations of pesticide rules that occurred in 2017 and 2018.

The committee reviewed 53 violations for unauthorized use of 2, 4-D and dicamba,which included minor and major infractions. Enforcement action recommendations ranged from warning letters to fines, with fines ranging from $600 to $1,000. The violations and enforcement actions will now be submitted to the full State Plant Board for review at its meeting on September 17.

Prior to August of 2017, the maximum fine for unauthorized use of a pesticide was$1,000. Current law allows for fines up to $25,000 for egregious violations of the use of dicamba or other auxin-containing herbicides.       MORE