The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Sept. 22 settlements with an Arizona fertilizer and crop protection retailer and its affiliate company in California.
The companies will pay more than $130,000 in fines for improper distribution and use of pesticides.
The EPA fined Fertizona and Compton Ag Services for violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, a law that regulates pesticide sales and use in the United States.
Based on inspections conducted by the Arizona Department of Agriculture between 2012 and 2014, the EPA found 27 safety violations at Fertizona’s facilities in Waddell, Buckeye, Willcox, Casa Grande, and Yuma. These offenses include failures to properly store and transfer pesticides, as well as delays in clean-ups of spills.
The federal agency also found that Fertizona sold misbranded pesticides and used the chemicals in a manner not legally allowed based on the label instructions.
Compton Ag Services, based in Blythe, California, was cited for maintenance issues with pesticide storage facilities and problems with record-keeping.