An Orosi farm labor contractor has been ordered to pay $37,200 in civil penalties in connection with two separate vehicle accidents in 2006 that resulted in the deaths of three farmworkers and injuries to 12 others.

A U.S. Department of Labor administrative law judge ruled that G.V. Farm Labor Services, owned by George L. Valdez, must pay the penalty within 30 days.

Valdez, who could not be reached for comment Thursday, was investigated by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.The agency found that Valdez violated numerous provisions of the Migrant and Seasonal Agriculture Worker Protection Act, including operating an unsafe vehicle, failing to ensure the vehicle driver had a valid license and transporting workers without authorization.

“The Labor Department is committed to ending the unsafe transportation of farm workers,” said George Friday Jr., western regional administrator for the Wage and Hour Division. “The loss of life and serious injuries from these accidents are tragic, and we are holding the farm labor contractor accountable under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.”