NW Democrat-Gazette

Farmer sued for dicamba penalties

STEPHEN STEED

The state Plant Board has sued a Missouri farmer for failing to pay $105,000 in fines for 11 counts of illegally spraying dicamba.

Filed Thursday in Pulaski County Circuit Court, the lawsuit seeks the $105,000, plus attorneys’ fees, from Jeffrey Todd, of Clarkton, Mo. The Plant Board levied the fines after an October 2019 hearing that Todd didn’t attend.

The board had two case files against Todd — one for five violations in June 2018 and another for six violations about two months later. Both involved applications of dicamba on a field farmed by Todd east of Piggott, near the Arkansas-Missouri border.

The board levied $25,000 fines for each of four violations: two counts of spraying dicamba in a way that caused it to move off target, and two counts of causing “significant” damage to other crops. It was the first time for the board to issue maximum fines of $25,000 for “egregious” violations as set by the General Assembly in 2017. The previous maximum fine was $1,000.

Todd filed an appeal in Pulaski County Circuit Court, but that was dismissed in June for Todd’s failure to pursue the appeal.

The $ 105,000 in fines against Todd have since been eclipsed by a $175,000 settlement offer to Russell Thomason of Osceola for seven dicamba violations. The case originally was for $350,000 on 14 alleged violations. That case is pending.

Assigned to Circuit Judge Timothy Fox, the lawsuit against Todd is 60CV-21-6718. Burton Stacy Jr. of Bentonville is representing the Plant Board.

Business & Farm

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2021-10-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://edition.nwaonline.com/article/282548726480645

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