4.10.1005    PENALTY DETERMINATION

(1)  Each violation of the Montana Pesticides Act and/or rules adopted thereunder is considered a separate offense. Each offense is subject to a separate penalty not to exceed $2,500, with the exception of farm applicators whose penalty cannot exceed $500 for the first offense.

(2)  The penalty matrixes in this rule establish the penalty for each offense that is a major violation or reoccurrence of a major violation. The values in parentheses establish the penalty for farm applicators possessing a permit. The gravity of the violation, the degree of care exercised and the degree of harm to health, environment, agricultural commodities, or livestock may decrease or increase the penalties listed below. The department shall have the option to select the most appropriate penalty and penalty value for each violation.

(3)  Where a penalty is assessed for reoccurrence of a violation within two years of the first violation, the two year period will start on the date that the preceding violation occurred. All appeals procedures and rights to contest and a final order concluding the violation must be completed for the preceding violation(s).

(4)  Penalties are assessed according to the following penalty matrix:

(a)  misuse resulting in proven exposure or proven harm to:

 

 

Violation

1st

Offense

2nd

Offense

3rd and

Subsequent

Offense

Humans or human health

Proven exposure

Illness

Chronic illness or death

 

$  500 (100)  

 1,000 (200)  

 2,500 (500)  

 

 

$1,000

  2,500

  2,500

 

$2,500

  2,500

  2,500

Agricultural commodities

Proven exposure

Reduced yield or price

Damage or residues that

   prevent marketing

Destruction

 

 

$  250 (50)  

    750 (150)  

 1,000 (200)  

 

 2,000 (400)  

 

 

 $  500

  1,500

  2,000

 

  2,500

 

$1,000

  2,000

  2,500

 

  2,500

 

Livestock

Proven exposure

Illness or residues that

prevent marketing of

livestock or by-products

Death

 

$  250 (50)  

 1,000 (200)  

 

 

 2,500 (500)  

 

 $  500

  2,000

 

 

  2,500

 

$1,000

  2,500

 

 

  2,500

 

(b)  misuse resulting in proven harm to environment:

 

Surface or ground water

Poisoning or harm to aquatic plants or animals

$ 500 (100) $1,000 $2,500

Domestic, livestock, or irrigation

purposes or other beneficial uses affected

1,000 (200)   2,000   2,500

Residues equal or exceed

state or federal standards

1,000 (200)   2,500   2,500
Soil

Residues that prevent growth of plants

   500 (100)  1,000   2,500

Structure or biota adversely affected

   500 (100)  1,000   2,000
Animals

Illness or harm

   500 (100)  1,000   2,500

Death

1,000 (200)  2,000   2,500

Residues that prevent or

restrict consumption by humans

1,000 (200)  2,000   2,500
Plants other than agricultural commodities

Damaged, normal

the following season

  500 (100)  1,500   2,500

Damaged, abnormal the following season

1,000 (200)  2,000   2,500

Destroyed

2,000 (400)  2,500   2,500
Air

Contaminated at or above

state or federal health standards

1,000 (200) 2,500   2,500
 

(c)  sale of a restricted pesticide to a person not certified or authorized to purchase restricted pesticides:

 

Sale of a restricted

$1,000 (100)  

$1,500

$2,500

pesticide to a person not

 

 

 

certified or authorized to

 

 

 

purchase restricted

 

 

 

pesticides

 

 

 

 

(d)  use or sale of an unregistered pesticide:

 

General

$1,000 (200)

$2,000

$2,500

Restricted

  1,500 (300)

  2,500

   2,500

Canceled or suspended

  1,500 (300)

  2,500

   2,500

 

 

(e)  failure to maintain any individual pesticide application and sales records:

 

General use pesticides

$250 (50) $500 $1,000

Restricted use pesticides

500 (100) 750   1,500
 

(f)  use of a pesticide without having obtained the

required license or permit:

 

Commercial, government, public utility or non- commercial applicators or operators or farm applicators
General $ 500 $1,500 $2,500
Restricted 1,000   2,000    2,500
Permitted farm applicator Restricted    250   1,000    2,000
  

(g)  sale of a pesticide without having obtained the required license:

 

General $ 500 (100) $1,500 $2,500
Restricted 1,000 (200)   2,000   2,500
 

(h)  noncompliance with pesticide worker protection standards and labeling:

 

Misuse violations not

causing proven exposure of

humans, agricultural

commodities or livestock; or

proven harm to human health,

commodities, livestock or

the environment

$ 250 (50)  

$500

$1,000

Retaliation by an employer

against workers or handlers

1,000 (200)  

1,500

  2,500

Failure to provide emergency

assistance

1,500 (300)  

2,000

  2,500

Sale of a misbranded

pesticide not having the

required worker protection

label language

   500 (100)  

1,500

  2,500

 

(i)  noncompliance with pesticide ground water and environmental protection agency endangered species standards and labeling:

 

Misuse violations not

causing proven exposure of

humans, agricultural

commodities or livestock; or

proven harm to human health,

commodities, livestock or

the environment

$250 (50)  

$500

$1,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

(j)  noncompliance with pesticide or pesticide container disposal, labeling or handling requirements and standards:

 

Misuse violations not

causing proven exposure of

humans, agricultural

commodities or livestock; or

proven harm to human health,

commodities, livestock or

the environment

$250 (50)  

$500

$1,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sale of a misbranded

pesticide

 500 (100)  

1,500

  2,500

 

 

 

(k) reoccurrence of any identical violation of this chapter (Title 80, chapter 8, MCA) within two years of the first violation excluding the major violations set forth above:

 

Type of

Reoccurrence

1st

Reoccurrence

2nd

Reoccurrence

3rd

Reoccurrence

Violations dealing

with permits,

licenses and/or

reports

$  500

$1,000

$2,500

Violations dealing

with general use

pesticides

     500

  1,000

  2,500

Violations dealing

with restricted use

pesticides

  1,000

  2,000

  2,500

All other

violations

     500

  1,000

  2,500

History: 80-8-105, MCA; IMP, 80-8-306, MCA; NEW, 1986 MAR p. 1013, Eff. 6/13/86; AMD, 1999 MAR p. 404, Eff. 3/12/99.