Sacramento, Calif.-Calling it an example of regulatory abuse, Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) is suing the state on behalf of a San Diego-area businessman who was fined $100,000 for selling a fertilizer made from worm droppings. The suit was filed against the Department of Pesticide Regulation, which claims George Hahn, the inventor of Worm Gold, needs to have the product registered as a pesticide because of claims it not only fertilizes, but is also naturally resistant to pests. It’s the odor of worm castings in Worm Gold, presently licensed as a fertilizer, that keeps bugs away, according to the lawsuit. “California’s pesticide laws were intended to protect the public from poisonous chemicals, not to shut down an entrepreneur who’s offering a safe, organic alternative,” said PLF principal attorney Timothy Sandefur. PLF – a Sacramento-based organization for limited government, property rights, and individual rights – said it filed the lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court as part of a project that targets regulatory abuse of entrepreneurs.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain