A Victorian commercial flower grower has been fined $70,000 after a 2020 pesticide incident left neighbours with vision impairment and breathing difficulties.
The Environment Protection Authority laid two pollution charges against I, C & J Santospirito Pty Ltd after the company used metham sodium on agricultural land in Torquay on June 17, 2020.
The EPA found the chemical was being used to prepare the ground for a new crop but it was incorrectly applied, reacting with moist soil to create the hazardous gas methyl isothiocyanate.
Four people were hospitalised after wind blew the gas into the nearby Ocean Acres and Frog Hollow residential estates.
Residents suffered vision impairment, sore throats, breathing difficulties, headaches, nausea and vomiting.
I, C & J Santospirito pleaded guilty to two charges of polluting the atmosphere, making it harmful or potentially harmful to humans.
On Monday in Geelong Magistrates Court, the company was fined $70,000 without conviction. The court also ordered the company to pay the EPA's legal costs of $7582.40 and publicise the offending in local newspapers.
Magistrate Simon Guthrie said the penalty took into account the company's early guilty plea, its cooperation with the investigation, prior good record and what appeared to be genuine remorse.
AAP has contacted I, C & J Santospirito for comment.
