Farmer and PA employee convicted of killing birds with pesticides

(WJET/WFXP) — A western Pennsylvania farmer and one of his employees were recently convicted by a federal judge for using banned toxic pesticides to kill protected birds migrating to the area.

Beaver County farmer Robert Yost, 52, of New Galilee, Pa., was sentenced to one year of probation, a $21,000 fine and 100 hours of community service, while his employee, Jacob Reese, 27, of Enon Valley, was sentenced. to one year of probation, a $5,500 fine and 50 hours of community service.

The two men were convicted of conspiring to kill at least 17 migratory birds on Yost Farms land in June 2020 by feeding them corn kernels coated with carbofuran, a registered restricted-use pesticide.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of PA, Yost asked Reese to spread the contaminated grains in and around a soybean field for birds to eat, often with children present.

After the birds died, the two men burned bags of contaminated corn feed and lied to PA Game Commission and Department of Agriculture officials about using poison to kill about 17 Canadian geese , 10 red-winged blackbirds and a mallard duck.

The EPA determined in 2009 that products containing carbofuran generally cause unreasonable adverse effects on humans and the environment, calling the risk associated with any practice involving this substance unacceptable.

The courts also said the two men's community service should focus on wildlife conservation or agricultural safety because of the violation of the federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, as well as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.