Ag-Mart Part II

by heather — last modified Aug 31, 2006 12:01 AM

We've told you about Ag-Mart and their awful pesticide practices before, and now the saga continues.  According to the News and Observer, Ag-Mart is attempting to have the charges (including misusing pesticides, endangering workers, and exposing tomato-lovers to toxics) dismissed:

The company's lawyers argued in an administrative law hearing in Raleigh that nearly three-quarters of the 369 violations it was charged with by the state Agriculture Department are based on a misinterpretation of Ag-Mart's records.

And they said that, no matter how many violations the Florida-based company is accused of, the state has no authority to fine more than $500.

The Agriculture Department levied the $184,500 fine, the largest in state history, after the department's pesticide section found Ag-Mart endangered hundreds of tomato pickers by forcing them to work in freshly sprayed fields. The agency also says the company harvested tomatoes too soon after spraying, violating rules designed to keep consumers safe from pesticide residue in their food.

Overall, the case against the company is "lacking in common sense," Mark Ash, a Raleigh lawyer hired by Ag-Mart, told the judge.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this big company is going to be able to weasel their way out of poisoning their workers (and some of us).  How can we stop them?

Comments (1)

Fawn May 10, 2007 02:19 PM
One way to help stop them is not to buy their tomatoes. Ag-Mart is one of the country's largest growers of grape tomatoes, but they also grow all kinds of other tomatoes, including certified organic roma tomatoes I accidentally bought at a grocery store recently. It's summer - go get your tomatoes at the farmers' market.
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