Sec. 22-111f. Inspections, analyses, tests and penalties. (a) For the purpose of
the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter, the commissioner or his authorized
agent, upon presenting appropriate credentials, is authorized (1) to enter, during normal
business hours, any factory, warehouse or establishment within the state in which commercial fertilizers are manufactured, processed, packed or held for distribution, or to
enter any vehicle being used to transport or hold such fertilizers, and (2) to inspect at
reasonable times and within reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner, such factory,
warehouse, establishment or vehicle and all pertinent equipment, finished and unfinished materials, containers and labeling therein.
(b) The commissioner, who may act through his authorized agent, shall sample and
inspect commercial fertilizers distributed within this state at such times and places and
to such extent as he may deem necessary to determine whether such commercial fertilizers are in compliance with the provisions of this chapter. The commissioner, individually
or through his agent, is authorized to enter upon any public or private premises or carriers
during regular business hours in order to have access to commercial fertilizers subject
to the provisions of this chapter and the rules and regulations pertaining thereto. The
director or his agent shall analyze samples designated official by the commissioner.
(c) The methods of analysis and sampling shall be those adopted by the director
and commissioner from recognized authorities such as the Journal of the Association
of Official Analytical Chemists.
(d) The commissioner, in determining for administrative purposes whether any
commercial fertilizer is deficient in plant food, shall be guided solely by the official
sample obtained and analyzed as provided for in this section.
(e) The results of official analysis shall be forwarded by the director to the commissioner, registrant and distributor. Upon request the director shall furnish to the registrant
a portion of any sample found subject to penalty or other legal action.
(f) If the analysis provided for in this section shows that any commercial fertilizer
falls short of the guaranteed analysis in any one or more ingredients, a penalty shall be
assessed in accordance with the following provisions: (1) For less than the minimum
of total nitrogen, available phosphoric acid, soluble potash, three times the value of the
deficiency of any one or more of said ingredients should such deficiency exceed the
official investigational allowances as provided in regulations adopted by the commissioner and (2) for less than the minimum in any other constituent covered under subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of section 22-111b, which the registrant is required to or
may guarantee, three times the value of the deficiency of such constituent should such
deficiency exceed the official investigational allowance as provided in regulations
adopted by the commissioner.
(g) All penalties assessed under this section shall be paid to the consumer of the lot
of commercial fertilizer represented by the sample analyzed within three months after
the date of notice from the commissioner to the registrant. Receipts shall be taken therefor and promptly forwarded to the commissioner. If such consumers cannot be found,
the amount of the penalty shall be paid to the commissioner who shall remit the money
to the State Treasurer for deposit in the General Fund. The provisions of this section
shall apply only to purchases of one ton or more of fertilizer.
(h) For the purpose of determining the commercial value of any commercial fertilizer to be applied under the provisions of this section the commissioner shall determine
and publish annually the values per unit of nitrogen, available phosphoric acid and
soluble potash in commercial fertilizers in this state. If guarantees are as provided in
subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of section 22-111b, the value shall be per unit of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The values so determined and published shall be used
in determining and assessing penalties.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 6; 1969, P.A. 95, S. 2; P.A. 73-278, S. 4, 21; P.A. 76-103; P.A. 79-631, S. 32, 111.)
History: 1969 act replaced "Associated Official Agricultural Chemists Journal" with "Journal of the Association of
Official Analytical Chemists" in Subsec. (b); P.A. 73-278 inserted new Subsec. (a) re commissioner's inspection powers,
relettering former Subsecs. (a) to (d) accordingly, replaced "director", i.e. director of Agricultural Experiment Station with
"commissioner", i.e. commissioner of agriculture where appearing but retained revised provision re director's powers to
analyze fertilizers by specifying that samples be designated as official by commissioner and restated provisions in Subsec.
(e), formerly (d), deleting provision clarifying when report becomes official; P.A. 76-103 added Subsecs. (f) to (h) re
penalties; P.A. 79-631 substituted "fertilizers" for "feeds" in Subsec. (a)(1).
Sec. 22-111g. Misbranded fertilizers. A commercial fertilizer is misbranded if it
carries a false or misleading statement on the container or on the label attached to the
container, or if false or misleading statements concerning the fertilizer are disseminated
in any manner or by any means. No person shall distribute a misbranded fertilizer.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 7; 1969, P.A. 95, S. 3.)
History: 1969 act made minor change in wording.
Sec. 22-111h. Tonnage statements of registrants. (a) Each person registering
commercial fertilizers under this chapter shall furnish the commissioner with a confidential written statement of the tonnage of each grade of commercial fertilizer sold by him
in this state for the annual period ending June thirtieth. No information furnished under
this section shall be disclosed in such a way as to divulge the operation of any person.
(b) When more than one person is involved in the distribution of a commercial
fertilizer, the last person who has the fertilizer registered and who distributes to a nonregistered dealer or consumer shall be responsible for reporting the tonnage and paying
the inspection fee, unless the reporting and paying of fees have been made by a prior
distributor of the fertilizer.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 8; 1969, P.A. 95, S. 4; P.A. 73-278, S. 5, 21.)
History: 1969 act amended Subsec. (a) to reflect change from semiannual statements to annual statements; P.A. 73-278
replaced "director", i.e. director of Agricultural Experiment Station with "commissioner", i.e. commissioner of agriculture.
See Sec. 22-111e(b) re tonnage statements by distributors of commercial fertilizers.
Sec. 22-111i. Publication of information by director. The director shall publish
at least annually and in such forms as he may deem proper: (a) Information concerning
the distribution of commercial fertilizers and (b) results of analyses based on official
samples of commercial fertilizers distributed within the state as compared with the analyses guaranteed under sections 22-111c and 22-111d.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 9.)
Sec. 22-111j. Regulations. For the enforcement of this chapter, the commissioner
is authorized to prescribe and, after public hearing following due public notice, to enforce
such regulations relating to the distribution of commercial fertilizers as he may find
necessary to carry into effect the full intent and meaning of this chapter.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 10; P.A. 73-278, S. 6, 21.)
History: P.A. 73-278 replaced "director", i.e. director of Agricultural Experiment Station, with "commissioner", i.e.
commissioner of agriculture.
See chapter 54 re uniform administrative procedure.
Sec. 22-111k. Penalty for short weight. If any commercial fertilizer in the possession of the consumer is found by the commissioner to be short in weight, the registrant
of such commercial fertilizer shall, within thirty days after official notice from the commissioner, pay to the consumer a penalty equal to four times the value of the actual
shortage.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 11; P.A. 73-278, S. 7, 21.)
History: P.A. 73-278 replaced "director", i.e. director of Agricultural Experiment Station, with "commissioner", i.e.
commissioner of agriculture.
Sec. 22-111l. Cancellation or refusal of registration for fraud or deception.
The commissioner may cancel the registration of any brand of commercial fertilizer or
refuse to register any brand of commercial fertilizer as herein provided, upon satisfactory
evidence that the registrant or applicant for registration has used fraudulent or deceptive
practices in the evasion or attempted evasion of the provisions of this chapter or any
regulations promulgated thereunder; provided no registration shall be revoked or refused
until the registrant has been given the opportunity to appear for a hearing by the commissioner.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 12; P.A. 73-278, S. 8, 21.)
History: P.A. 73-278 replaced "director", i.e. director of Agricultural Experiment Station with "commissioner", i.e.
commissioner of agriculture.
Sec. 22-111m. Stop sale, use or removal orders. The commissioner may issue
and enforce a written or printed "stop sale, use or removal" order to the owner or custodian of any lot of commercial fertilizer to hold such fertilizer at a designated place when
the commissioner finds such commercial fertilizer is being offered or exposed for sale
in violation of any provision of this chapter until the law has been complied with and
such commercial fertilizer is released in writing by the commissioner or such violation
has been otherwise legally disposed. The commissioner shall release the commercial
fertilizer so withdrawn when the requirements of the provisions of this chapter have
been complied with and all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the withdrawal have been paid.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 13; P.A. 73-278, S. 9, 21.)
History: P.A. 73-278 replaced "director", i.e. director of Agricultural Experiment Station, with "commissioner", i.e.
commissioner of agriculture.
Sec. 22-111n. Seizure of noncomplying fertilizers. Any lot of commercial fertilizer not in compliance with the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to seizure on
complaint of the commissioner to a court of competent jurisdiction in the area in which
such commercial fertilizer is located. If the court finds such commercial fertilizer to be
in violation of this chapter and orders the condemnation of such commercial fertilizer,
it shall be disposed of in any manner consistent with the quality of the commercial
fertilizer and the laws of the state; provided in no instance shall the disposition of such
commercial fertilizer be ordered by the court without first giving the claimant an opportunity to apply to the court for release of such commercial fertilizer or for permission
to process or relabel such commercial fertilizer to bring it into compliance with this
chapter.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 14; P.A. 73-278, S. 10, 21.)
History: P.A. 73-278 replaced "director", i.e. director of Agricultural Experiment Station, with "commissioner", i.e.
commissioner of agriculture.
Sec. 22-111o. Procedure on violations. (a) If it appears from the examination of
any commercial fertilizer that any provision of this chapter or the regulations issued
thereunder has been violated, the commissioner shall cause notice of the violation to be
given to the registrant, distributor or possessor from whom the sample was taken. Any
person so notified shall be given opportunity to be heard under such regulations as may
be prescribed by the commissioner. If it appears after such hearing, either in the presence
or absence of the person so notified, that any of the provisions of this chapter or rules
and regulations issued thereunder have been violated, the commissioner may certify the
facts to the prosecuting officer having jurisdiction.
(b) Any person convicted of violating any provision of this chapter or any regulation
issued thereunder shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.
(c) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as requiring the commissioner or his
representative to report for prosecution or for the institution of seizure proceedings
minor violations of this chapter when he believes that the public interests will be best
served by a suitable notice of warning in writing.
(d) Each prosecuting officer to whom any violation is reported shall cause appropriate proceedings to be instituted and prosecuted in a court of competent jurisdiction
without delay.
(e) The commissioner may apply for and any court of competent jurisdiction may
grant a temporary or permanent injunction restraining any person from violating or
continuing to violate any provision of this chapter or any regulation promulgated thereunder notwithstanding the existence of other remedies at law. Such injunction shall be
issued without bond.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 15; P.A. 73-278, S. 11, 21.)
History: P.A. 73-278 replaced "director", i.e. director of Agricultural Experiment Station, with "commissioner", i.e.
commissioner of agriculture.
Sec. 22-111p. Sales and exchanges between importers, manufacturers or manipulators. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to restrict or avoid sales or exchanges of commercial fertilizers between importers, manufacturers or manipulators
who mix fertilizer materials for sale or to prevent the free and unrestricted shipments
of commercial fertilizer to manufacturers or manipulators who have registered their
brands as required by the provisions of this chapter.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 16.)
Sec. 22-111q. Appeals. Any person aggrieved by any action of the commissioner
under the provisions of this chapter may appeal therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183.
(February, 1965, P.A. 198, S. 17; P.A. 73-278, S. 12, 21; P.A. 76-436, S. 449, 681; P.A. 77-603, S. 91, 125.)
History: P.A. 73-278 replaced "director", i.e. director of Agricultural Experiment Station, with "commissioner", i.e.
commissioner of agriculture; P.A. 76-436 replaced court of common pleas with superior court and added reference to
judicial districts, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-603 replaced previous provision for appeal to superior court with statement
that appeals shall be made in accordance with Sec. 4-183.