N.C. Pesticide Board announces case settlements

RALEIGH – The N.C. Pesticide Board recently approved the following settlement agreements in Beaufort, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Harnett, Rowan, Robeson, Union and Wake counties. Settlements involved instances of improper handling or application of pesticides, applying pesticides without the proper license or certification and making restricted-use pesticides available to unlicensed people.

Settlements are listed by county below:

• (Beaufort) Paul R. Sasnett, a private pesticide applicator east of Washington, agreed to pay $1,200 because an employee on his farm burned plastic pesticide jugs, which is improper disposal, violating the pesticide’s label and provisions of state law.
• (Beaufort) Keith Waters, a licensed private pesticide applicator in Beaufort County, agreed to pay $900 because his pesticide application to a soybean field along U.S. Highway 17 south of Chocowinity drifted, damaging trees at the nearby N.C. Department of Transportation rest area. N.C. law states that no person shall apply pesticides under such conditions that drift from pesticide particles or vapors results in adverse effects. Waters also failed to wear a required respirator and failed to obtain a respirator medical clearance prior to making the pesticide application.
• (Buncombe) John Wilcox, a licensed pesticide dealer for Southern States in Asheville, agreed to pay $2,400 for selling a soil fumigant restricted-use pesticide to a private pesticide applicator who did not have the required fumigation subcategory on his license.
• (Cabarrus) Shawn W. Heater, a licensed commercial pesticide applicator and the owner of Trugreen in Kannapolis and Mooresville, agreed to pay $600 for applying a pesticide in a faulty, careless or negligent manner because an employee made an application at the wrong residential address in Concord, damaging and killing vegetation.
• (Caldwell) Donald E. Norris, a licensed pesticide dealer for Southern States Cooperative’s Lenior Turf Division, agreed to pay $1,600 for two instances in which an employee sold restricted-use pesticides to individuals with expired pesticide licenses.
• (Forsyth) David N. Atterbury, licensed pesticide dealer for Green Resource in Winston-Salem, agreed to pay $1,600 for selling a restricted-use pesticide to someone with an expired license.
• (Forsyth) Related to the above case in Forsyth County, Wiley E. Nifong Jr., the owner of Karana Landscapes in Winston-Salem, agreed to pay $1,200 for engaging in the business of a pesticide applicator and applying restricted-use pesticides after his commercial pesticide applicator license had expired.
• (Gaston) Related to the above case in Caldwell County, Richard A. Duffie, the superintendent of Catawba Creek Golf Club in Gastonia, agreed to pay $800 for applying a restricted-use pesticide after his licensed and certification expired.
• (Guilford) Aaron Hairston of Yard Expressions in Oak Ridge agreed to pay $1,200 for engaging in the business of a pesticide applicator and applying pesticides after his commercial pesticide applicator license had expired.
• (Guilford) Randy McKinnon, owner of Carolina Green Lawn Care based in High Point, agreed to pay $1,200 for engaging in the business of pesticide applicator without a license. Employees applied pesticides for the business although no one with the business had a commercial pesticide license. McKinnon had previously been issued a Notice of Non-Compliance for the same violation.
• (Harnett) Sandy A. Langdon, a private pesticide applicator north of Dunn, agreed to pay $600 for improper application of a soil fumigant pesticide near Coats, which lacked required buffer zones, signage and a fumigation management plan.
• (Robeson) Samuel Walton, a licensed private pesticide applicator in the Lumber Bridge area, agreed to pay $800 because his pesticide application to a cotton field along N.C. Highway 87 drifted, damaging sweet corn and other garden vegetation at a nearby home. Walton also did not complete required training prior to applying the restricted-use pesticide.
• (Rowan) Related to the above case in Caldwell County, Clyde A. McBride, a licensed commercial pesticide applicator at McCanless Golf Course in Salisbury, agreed to pay $800 for applying a restricted-use pesticide after his licensed expired.
• (Union) Russell Cox, private pesticide applicator for Cox Brothers Farms in the Monroe area, agreed to pay $1,200 because his pesticide application to a soybean field drifted, damaging trees and other vegetation at a nearby home. N.C. law states that no person shall apply pesticides under such conditions that drift from pesticide particles or vapors results in adverse effects.
• (Wake) Richard J. Jenks Jr., a private pesticide applicator for Po Hous Farm west of Apex, agreed to pay $800 for applying a restricted-use pesticide without being certified.

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