SEATTLE - Three companies in Washington, Oregon and Idaho are the target of enforcement actions for their failure to follow federal pesticide laws, according to orders issued by the Environmental Protection Agency.

J.R. Simplot Company of Boise, Agricare of Amity, Ore., and Northwest Agricultural Products of Pasco, Wash., violated the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) at their respective facilities, according to the EPA.

"Companies that produce pesticides but fail to register their facilities or submit required reports are not only operating illegally, but also pose a safety hazard to the public," said Scott Downey, manager of EPA's pesticide unit in the Seattle office. "Knowing where pesticides are produced provides vital information to EPA and to responders in the event of a spill or natural disaster."

•  J.R. Simplot Company is being fined $28,080 for failing to register two pesticide facilities.

A facility in Grafton, N.D., owned and operated by J.R. Simplot, produced three pesticides in 2008 but inactivated its registration in 2002 and did not register until 2009, according to an EPA order. Facilities must be actively registered with EPA to produce pesticides. An additional facility in Moorhead, Minn., produced six pesticides in 2008, but was inactivated in 1996 and did not reactivate until 2009.

These violations were processed through EPA Region 10 because the J.R. Simplot Company

headquarters is located in Idaho.

• Agricare is being fined $2,160 for failing to register a pesticide facility. The facility in Amity, Ore., produced a pesticide in 2008, but did not register until 2009, in violation of FIFRA.

•  Northwest Agricultural Products is being fined $1,280 for failing to submit yearly reports on time that document the types and amounts of pesticides produced and distributed. These reports are due March 1 for the previous calendar year. The company submitted its report for 2006 on March 6, 2007. For 2008 it submitted its report on July 17, 2009.