Finding F1
Findings
There is no set clear standard for deciding pesticide fine amounts. When the committee reviewed past NOPA documents, it was not clear why specific fines were given or how the final dollar amounts were chosen.
Jury report: Cultivating Compliance: A Review of Sutter County's Agricultural Operations · PDF page 39
Permanent linkOfficial response
Sutter County Board of Supervisors
The Board partially disagrees. It cites commissioner discretion and 3 CCR section 6130(d), which requires consideration of relevant facts, severity and compliance history, and says every NOPA penalty section explains the classification and amount.
Read official response · PDF page 3The response provides a specific regulatory basis and describes existing notices, but does not identify exactly which portion of the finding it accepts or disputes. General regulatory factors and an asserted factual explanation do not directly resolve the jury’s concern about a clear standard for selecting amounts or the clarity of the notices it reviewed. No particular NOPA is supplied. This assesses engagement, not the legality or accuracy of the fines.
This review evaluates the response document. Implementation claims have not been independently verified.