first on decorahnews.com: State Agriculture Department issues warning letter in Luther lawn herbicide investigation

The Iowa Department of Agriculture has issued a warning letter to the company in charge of a recent lawn chemical application at Luther College that resulted in some trees being damaged.

Iowa Department of Agriculture spokesperson Dustin Vandehof tells decorahnews.com there will be no monetary fine imposed on Phillip Ollendieck, but the warning letter stays in his file and would prompt financial fines if a second problem occurs.

The letter was issued last Friday as a result of the work of Iowa Department of Agriculture investigator Steve Van Helten, who visited Luther College and collected samples.

Decorah resident Steve McCargar filed the original complaint against Ollendieck and Luther College, claiming the employees of the company hired by Luther College to apply lawn chemicals on campus in early June misapplied the chemicals, doing the work during windy conditions and near water.

A copy of decorahnews.com's original story about the lawn herbicide complaint can be found at http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2011/07/136.html