State investigators say a farm near Bellingham is not to blame for the death a worker last summer. But the owners face steep fines for other violations. TRANSCRIPT The blueberry harvest was at its peak when Honesto Silva Ibarra died last August. He was one of nearly 600 foreign workers Sarbanand Farms brought from Mexico last summer through the H-2A visa program. Silva's death sparked concerns about health and safety issues at the farm in Sumas, Washington. Investigations followed. Tim Church is with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

“We wanted to turn over every rock to look for information,” Church said. "This is a tragic situation involving a worker and we wanted to know that the regulations and laws were being met.” Investigators looked at workplace factors like sanitation, availability of drinking water, pesticide exposure and training about heat-related illnesses. They found no workplace issues contributing to Silva’s death. An autopsy also found he died of natural causes. “We are relieved and reassured that state investigators concluded what we have known all along — that Mr. Ibarra’s death, while tragic, was not the result of the company’s actions or policies,” a Sarbanand spokesperson wrote in an e-mailed statement. The L&I investigation did, however, find that that Sarbanand failed to provide rest breaks and scheduled meals. For that, the farm faces a fine of nearly $150,000 dollars.