Blueberry grower fined $1,000 for pesticide infraction
Last Updated: Friday, June 15, 2007 | 10:06 AM AT
CBC News

A prominent blueberry grower has been fined $1,000 for allowing migrant workers on his Mount Stewart-area farm to apply pesticides without proper certification, the first such incident in P.E.I., according to the provincial Environment Department.

Elwood Lawton's company, Lawton Produce Inc., was originally charged under the Pesticide Control Act. But, in court last week, Lawton's lawyer said his client would take personal responsibility for having the pesticides applied without the proper applicator certificate.

John Clements, head of investigation and enforcement for the Environment Department, said the workers had the proper tools for applying the pesticide, but not the certification.

"I have concerns that there's [anybody] out there that's not properly certified and licensed, whether they're migrants or local residents. … it's something that we're trying to accomplish that people know what they're doing, and how they're applying it and have a licence to do so.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2007/06/15/pesticide...