"Feds Probe Florida Handling Of Pesticide Case"

"GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Federal regulators are looking into whether Florida failed to properly investigate if farmworkers sickened in a crop-dusting accident were told not to report it to authorities.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inspectors are reviewing case files from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services related to the October 2014 accident in Belle Glade, EPA spokesman Nick Conger said Wednesday.

The action comes after an investigation by The Associated Press last month showed that officials here and in other states rarely penalize farms for violating chemical-exposure limits.

Based on a review of federal and state enforcement data, the investigation found that pesticide safety investigations in the U.S. can take years to complete and rarely result in fines. Most cases end with warning letters."

Jason Dearen reports for the Associated Press March 16, 2016.