Farmer faces charge of restarting harvest shut down by state
| Wednesday, Aug 12 2009 05:50 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Aug 12 2009 05:56 PM
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The Bakersfield farmer whose watermelon harvest was shut down Tuesday now faces misdemeanor charges after state inspectors returned to the site Wednesday morning and found five people on the job, a state official said.
It was unclear whether shade and cups for water were made available Wednesday -- they allegedly were not Tuesday, contributing to the shutdown -- but there was still no plan for dealing with heat illness, or anyone on hand who had been trained for such emergencies, said Erika Monterroza, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Industrial Relations.
"All the employer needs to do is get in compliance," she said. "It's not worth someone's life."
She said Young Lee, owner of Uri Brothers Farm Inc., will face a charge of violating an order-prohibiting use, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a fine of $1,000.
That penalty does not include fines stemming from violations allegedly discovered by state inspectors Tuesday, including no lunch breaks, packing equipment without adequate safety protection and cash in lieu of paychecks.
Lee and his representatives could not be reached for comment Wednesday. On Tuesday, his Los Angeles accountant said only some of the allegations were true.
