Gov. Linda Lingle has signed into law a measure exempting some bulk freight from pest inspection, quarantine and eradication fees.

Lingle approved Senate Bill 2523 yesterday, saying these bulk shipments carry a low risk of spreading invasive species.

The exemption applies to aggregate bulk freight, cement bulk freight, coal bulk freight and liquid bulk freight.

The law attempts to fight invasive species and strengthen agricultural inspection laws by imposing fines on failure to pay fees and requiring that money raised by agricultural inspections go into an eradication fund.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Clift Tsuji said the law gives the Department of Agriculture more resources to focus on agriculture inspection and biosecurity.