The FCC has issued a Citation and Order to Ruben D. Lopez Jr of Pomona Park, Florida. The Citation, issued April 23, is in response to several complaints about a well pump at Lopez’s residence that was acting as an incidental radiator and causing harmful interference to local radio amateurs.

According to the Citation, in October 2012, in response to another interference complaint, FCC agents “used direction finding equipment to identify Mr Lopez’s well pump as the source of transmissions on the frequency 1800 kHz.

Lopez was found by the FCC to be in violation Section 15.5(b) and (c) of the FCC’s rules by operating an incidental radiator and causing harmful interference. He was instructed by the FCC to “take immediate steps to ensure that he does not continue to cause harmful interference, including repairing or replacing his well pump and associated control circuitry.”

The FCC advised Lopez that if he continues to violate the Communications Act or the FCC’s rules, it “may impose monetary forfeitures of up to $16,000 for each such violation, or in the case of a continuing violation, up to a maximum forfeiture of $112,500 for any single act or failure to act. In addition, violation of the Communications Act or the [FCC’s] rules also can result in seizure of the equipment through in rem forfeiture actions, as well as criminal sanctions, including imprisonment.”

More information - http://www.arrl.org/news/florida-man-cited-for-causing-harmful-interference-to-radio-amateurs