Officials with the U-S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Kansas report Farm Services Cooperative (FSC), of Shelby,Iowa, has agreed to pay a $21,450 civil penalty to theUnited States for the unauthorized sales of restricted use pesticides. 

According to an administrative consent agreement filed by EPA Region 7 in Lenexa, Kan., the Shelby FSC on three occasions sold restricted use pesticides to an individual that was not certified to apply such pesticides, violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).  

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship conducted an inspection of the Shelby facility on November 19th, 2012.  The inspector documented the sale of the restricted use pesticides Atrazine and Grazon to persons not certified to apply such pesticides on three occasions in May and June of the same year. 

Restricted use pesticides are highly toxic chemicals whose misuse may pose significant potential harm to human health or to the environment. Under FIFRA, a restricted use pesticide can be applied only by or under, the direct supervision of a certified applicator. Sale or distribution of restricted use pesticides to persons not certified to apply such products and their subsequent misuse or misapplication may result in environmental harm or in injury or death to persons. 

As part of its settlement with the EPA, Farm Services Cooperative has certified that it is presently in compliance with FIFRA and its regulations.