The Washington State Department of Agriculture issued fines totaling $21,575 in pesticide violation fines, and imposed license suspensions during the final quarter of last year.

Fines ranging as high as $5,400 were imposed for incidents that involved drift and illegal sales.

Eight of 15 cases investigated involved violations of standards designed to train and protect agricultural workers who apply and work with chemicals.

The largest citation amount was against Charles Jennings of Turf Pro Tree and Lawn Care in Prosser, who was fined $5,400 for operating a pesticide application company without a license.  Additionally, WSDA found that he was not maintaining adequate pesticide application records.

In additional fines, Dale Boyd and Angel Ortega, Peshastin, were fined $900 and $450, respectively, for a drift incident.  Ortega was supervising an application to Boyd's orchard when the product drifted to a woman living nearby.  Contamination of her property was "extensive," WSDA reports, noting that the woman became ill. Ortega also lost his license for a week.

George DesBrisay and Simplot Growers Solutions, Umatilla, Ore., were charged with taking inadequate precautions to ensure safety of nearby residents when applying a soil fumigant via an irrigation system.  Residents were not notified of the application. Additionally, the application was not discontinued when weather conditions caused the fumes to drift. Simplot was fined $1,250 and was given a two-day license suspension. Moore was fined $1,250 and was also given a two-day license suspension.

Nathan Wilson, Royal Flying Service, Royal City, was charged with a wheat field application drift violation which WSDA says damaged nearby orchards.  A $450 fine was charged, along with a one week suspension of license.

Bleyhl Farm Services, Inc., Zillah, paid   $1,600 for marketing restricted-use pesticides on multiple occasions to a buyer not properly registered to purchase use the products.  Bleyhl was also cited for failures in record keeping of pesticide sales.

Eugene Hall, Quality Spray Service, Yakima, was issued a Hail and Quality Spray Service six-day license suspension for using false information in a report to CDFA pesticide regulation enforcement in what the department calls "an attempt to impede an investigation involving  a former employer, Charles Jennings, Prosser.

Several additional fines ranging from $600-$2,700 were also issued by WDSA for non-compliance of the Worker Protection Standards.