The N.C. Agriculture Department allowed a deputy director to use a state vehicle to commute to Raleigh from Reidsville, without reimbursement, for three years, according to the State Auditor's Office.

A management letter from auditor Beth Wood, a Democrat, found that Patrick Jones, a deputy director of the Pesticide Section was driving his state car to Raleigh four days a week, a financial benefit of $36,546. Wood's office was tipped about the car though the office's anonymous hotline.

State workers are allowed commuting privileges if the employee works from home. For that designation, and its exemption from having to pay back the state to apply, the employee cannot drive to Raleigh more than twice a week.

Wood's letter recommended that Jones be required to repay the state.

In a response, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, a Republican, downplayed the case, saying that Jones and his supervisor intended for Jones to rarely drive to Raleigh. But the department's involvement in the Ag-Mart pesticide case required him to be in Raleigh more often.

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Mike Easley has formed a task force to protect agricultural workers exposed to pesticides.

The task force comes after advocates for migrant workers said the state did a poor job handling complaints of dangerous pesticide exposure involving Ag-Mart, one of the nation's top suppliers of grape tomatoes, Dan Kane reports.

Two years ago, the state accused the Florida-based company of 369 violations of the state's pesticide law, but two judges recommended most of the charges be dropped because the state did not prove much of its case.

State Health Director Leah Devlin will lead the task force, which also includes N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. The task force will hold its first meeting next month and is expected to make recommendations to Easley in May.

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A judge has recommended the state Agriculture Department drop nearly al charges against Ag-Mart.

In a ruling issued last week, administrative law Judge Joe Webster said the Florida company could be held responsible for only 17 out of 369 pesticide violations.

The final decision rests with the state Pesticide Board, however.

The board decided last summer that the case was too complicated for its members and asked the Office of Administrative Hearings for a recommendation.

It will not decide whether to follow the judge's thinking until at least December. (N&O) 

Migrant workers can't complain about pesticides.

That's because few worker camps have telephones. Those that do have a way to complain often don't because of concerns about retaliation from their employers.

That was the message of public health advocates in a House committee hearing this afternoon.

The House Committee on Agribusiness and Agricultural Economy was discussing a bill by Rep. Dan Blue, a Raleigh Democrat.

Blue's bill would close loopholes in the law over pesticide reporting. Opponents of the legislation say it's premature and would hurt business.

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