A. The director is responsible for enforcing this article and shall receive and shall promptly and efficiently process all complaints regarding pesticide use. The director shall furnish to the attorney general a copy of each complaint filed under this article and copies of all investigative reports, citations, hearing notices and other action or pending action documents. Before a final disposition of a pesticide complaint the director and the attorney general shall jointly review the case to ensure that proper action is taken and to determine whether additional action or prosecution is required.

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 3-368

  • Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • De minimis violation: means a violation which, although undesirable, has no direct or immediate relationship to safety, health or property damage. See Arizona Laws 3-361
  • Department: means the Arizona department of agriculture. See Arizona Laws 3-101
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Nonserious violation: means a violation that may have had a direct or immediate relationship to safety, health or property damage, but which does not constitute a de minimis violation or a serious violation, unless the violator did not, and could not with the exercise of reasonable diligence, know of such safety, health or property damage risk in which case the violation is de minimis. See Arizona Laws 3-361
  • Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Pesticide: means any substance or mixture of substances intended to be used for defoliating plants or for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating insects, fungi, bacteria, weeds, rodents, predatory animals or any form of plant or animal life which is, or which the director may declare to be, a pest which may infest or be detrimental to vegetation, humans, animals or households or which may be present in any environment. See Arizona Laws 3-361
  • Process: means a citation, writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Property: includes both real and personal property. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Serious violation: means a violation of this article or a rule adopted under this article which produces a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, unless the violator did not, and could not with the exercise of reasonable diligence, know of such safety or human health risk, in which case the violation is nonserious. See Arizona Laws 3-361

B. The director shall notify all persons who submit complaints alleging violations of this article or rules adopted pursuant to this article of the progress, status and disposition of their complaints.

C. If the director investigates an alleged violation under this article and rules adopted pursuant to this article and determines that the violation did not result in any adverse health effects or property damage, the director may issue a letter of warning. A letter of warning issued pursuant to this subsection is not subject to section 3-363, paragraph 12.

D. If the director following an inspection or investigation determines that a de minimis violation occurred, the director shall issue a notice of de minimis violation and maintain a record of the violation for three years. A person receiving a notice of de minimis violation may request a hearing pursuant to Title 41, Chapter 6, Article 10.

E. If the director following an inspection or investigation determines that a nonserious or serious violation occurred, the director shall issue a written citation. The citation shall be issued within twenty days for a nonserious violation or within ten days for a serious violation. Each citation shall contain the following:

1. A particular description of the nature of the violation, including a reference to the provision of this article.

2. A reasonable time to abate the violation or take appropriate action.

3. A notice of the right to a hearing pursuant to Title 41, Chapter 6, Article 10.

F. No citation or notice of de minimis violation may be issued after the expiration of six months from the date of the inspection which produced evidence of the violation. If in the course of an investigation the department identifies any additional alleged violator, the department may investigate the additional alleged violator. No citation or notice of de minimis violation may be issued after the expiration of six months from the date any additional alleged violator is identified by the department.

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