(a) Whenever any pesticide or device is found by the commissioner and there is reason to believe on the basis of inspection or tests that such pesticide or device is in violation of any of the provisions of this part, or that such pesticide or device has been or is intended to be distributed or sold in violation of any such provisions, or when the registration of the pesticide has been cancelled by a final order or has been suspended, the commissioner may issue a written or printed stop sale, use, or removal order to any person who owns, controls, or has custody of such pesticide or device, and after receipt of such order no person shall sell, use or remove the pesticide or device described in the order except in accordance with the provisions of the order.

(b) Any pesticide distributed, sold, offered for sale or delivered for transportation or transported into or within the state for the purpose of sale shall be subject to seizure and condemnation upon application of the commissioner to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford:

(1) In the case of a pesticide, if:

(A) It is adulterated or misbranded;

(B) It is not registered pursuant to the provisions of this part;

(C) Its labeling fails to bear the information required by the federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (P.L. 92-516), as may be amended from time to time;

(D) It is not colored or discolored and such coloring or discoloring is required under this part; or

(E) Any of the claims for it or any of the directions for its use differ in substance from the representations made in connection with its registration;

(2) In the case of a device, it is misbranded; or

(3) In the case of a pesticide or device, when used in accordance with the requirements imposed under this part, subsection (a) of section 23-61a or section 23-61b, and as directed by the labeling, it nevertheless causes unreasonable adverse effects on the environment;

(4) In the case of a plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant, used in accordance with the label claims and recommendations, physical or physiological effects on plants or parts thereof shall not be deemed to be injurious, when such effects are the purpose for which the plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant was applied.

(c) If a pesticide is condemned, it shall be disposed of by destruction or sale, as the court may direct. If such article is sold, the proceeds shall revert to the General Fund but no article shall be sold which does not comply with the provisions of this part. Upon payments of costs and execution and delivery of a good and sufficient bond, which is conditioned upon the guarantee that the article shall not be disposed of unlawfully, the court may direct that the article be delivered to the owner thereof for relabeling or reprocessing, as the case may be. When any article is ordered condemned, court costs, legal fees and storage and other proper expenses shall be awarded against the person, if any, who intervenes as claimant of the article or who is responsible for the condition which leads to its condemnation.

(d) Whenever, in the judgment of the commissioner, any person has engaged in or is about to engage in any acts or practices which constitute, or will constitute, a violation of any provision of sections 22a-46 to 22a-66, inclusive, section 22a-66z or any other applicable statute, regulation or order issued thereunder, the commissioner may request the Attorney General to make application to the appropriate court for an order enjoining such acts or practices or for an order directing compliance with such statutes, regulations or orders.

(P.A. 73-540, S. 17, 28; P.A. 74-338, S. 39, 94; P.A. 76-436, S. 274, 681; P.A. 77-529, S. 21; P.A. 78-280, S. 5, 127; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 02-89, S. 62.)

History: P.A. 74-338 made technical change in Subsec. (b)(4), substituting “regulator” for “regulatory”; P.A. 76-436 replaced court of common pleas with superior court in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-529 added Subsec. (d) re court orders enjoining acts or practices in violation of provisions or orders for compliance with statutes, etc.; P.A. 78-280 replaced “Hartford county” with “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain”; P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 02-89 amended Subsec. (b)(3) to replace reference to “sections 23-61b to 23-61d, inclusive” with reference to “section 23-61b”, reflecting repeal of Sec. 23-61d by the same public act.