HONOLULU (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking nearly $5 million in fines against a unit of the Swiss chemical giant Syngenta for the company's alleged violations of pesticide regulations in Hawaii.
The EPA said Thursday the violations allegedly occurred at Syngenta Seeds' crop research farm on Kauai on Jan. 20. It says workers entered a field recently sprayed with a restricted insecticide. Ten workers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Syngenta said in a statement that it believes the EPA isn't characterizing the matter accurately.
The company says the agency is overreaching its authority. It says the EPA's move will negatively affect the way others respond to such matters and will reduce worker safety.
The case will go before an EPA administrative law judge.