Pesticide application inspector is heading back to Luther College

The Iowa Department of Agriculture's investigation into complaints of improper lawn pesticide spraying at Luther College just took a more complicated turn.

Preliminary results from samples taken near the Luther Pond did not reveal higher levels of pesticides, according to Iowa Dept. of Agriculture spokesperson Dustin Vandehof.  But results from samples taken on the lawn in front of Valders Hall DID show higher levels of pesticides, he says.

As a result, Department of Agriculture pesticide inspector Steve Van Helten is returning to Luther College this week for more tests. Helten will try to determine the cause of the higher levels of lawn pesticides and will talk with the company that did the spraying.

All of this means the Department of Agriculture's final decision on the complaint will be delayed by several weeks.