NY fines Tenn.-based TruGreen lawn care $500K

(AP) — TruGreen lawn care is being fined $500,000 by New York environmental officials for the misapplication of pesticides and filing inaccurate records.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation filed the agreement this week with the Tennessee-based company over what the agency said were more than 100 violations in New York dating back to 2007, mostly in the Albany area.

The state has agreed to suspend $100,000 of the penalty if the company hires an outside expert to address the problems.

A spokeswoman for Memphis-based TruGreen said the company was pleased with the settlement and will evaluate "current internal environmental operations and prepare enhanced environmental protocols."

___

Information from: Times Union, http://www.timesunion.com