EPA: Pesticide Company’s Penalty Cut From A Proposed $4.8M to $150K

"A settlement agreement between U.S. EPA and Syngenta Seeds LLC to resolve violations of pesticide regulations at a Hawaii farm includes a civil penalty that's significantly lower than what the Obama administration had sought.

Under the proposed consent decree announced this week, Syngenta would pay a $150,000 civil penalty. In December 2016, the Obama EPA said it was seeking more than $4.8 million.

Asked about the discrepancy, which was first reported by the Honolulu Civil Beat, an EPA spokesman this afternoon said that the complaint filed during the Obama administration cited the maximum penalty allowed under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act at the time."

Amanda Reilly reports for Greenwire February 14, 2018.