Pesticide Copter Pilot Faces Suspension Hunters Say They Were Hit By Spray, One Claiming Dizziness, Headaches, Nausea

The pilot of a helicopter involved in incidents where hunters said they were sprayed with pesticides last year has been given notice that his license will be temporarily suspended.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture sent Dennis Sturdevant the notice of intent to suspend his applicator license for 32 days, spokesman Cliff Weed said Tuesday.

Sturdevant has 17 days left to challenge the proposed suspension, which carries no civil fine.

Sturdevant, president of Precision Helicopters of Newberg, Ore., was piloting the helicopter while applying the herbicide 2,4-D last fall under contract with the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District.

Several hunters said they and their dogs were hit by overspray.

The state also issued a “notice of correction” to irrigation district employee Jon Friederichs, warning him to follow product labels in the future.

“Based upon the evidence, we believe Jon Friederichs, acting in his capacity, caused the pesticide to be used inconsistent with the label,” Weed said.

A similar warning was issued to Precision Helicopters, Weed said.

During a Nov. 2 application, Bainbridge Island resident John Hough, 51, said he was sprayed with 2,4-D while hunting on the Wahluke Slope north of the Hanford nuclear reservation.

Hough complained of dizziness, headaches and nausea.

His lawyer, Mike Patterson, said he was encouraged by the Agriculture Department’s actions.

“For the first time, the state has established that the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District bears responsibility for what happened to John Hough,” he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency also investigated the overspray allegations. The FAA concluded in April there was not enough evidence to substantiate Hough’s claim.

But the EPA fined Precision Helicopters for three violations of federal pesticide law. The company was cited for spraying near Hough and other hunters and mixing the 2,4-D improperly. It paid a $1,500 fine but did not admit wrongdoing.

Irrigation district manager Shannon McDaniel said the investigations have prompted a full review of district policies.

There will be no aerial applications of chemicals on the Wahluke Slope this fall, McDaniel said. The district also is developing a program to post warning signs before spraying.

Sturdevant can either ask for a formal hearing before an administrative law judge or an informal meeting to negotiate the proposed penalty.