Firm Fined Over Japanese Beetle Quarantine

DENVER (AP) -- The Colorado Department of Agriculture says a Delaware-based company is being fined for allegedly violating the state's quarantine against the Japanese beetle.

The department said Wednesday that John Deere Landscapes Inc. ordered 207 containers of ornamental grass and 20 trees from Elkhorn, Neb., that were planted at Buckley Air Force Base outside Denver. State agriculture officials say Elkhorn is known to be infested with the Japanese beetle, and the company planted grass and trees from there without certifying they were free of the destructive bugs.

The company could've been fined $1,000 per violation. Instead, the department says the company is paying $5,576, and the rest of the fine will be vacated after two years if it meets conditions including treating the plants with pesticide.

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