‘Rust’ producers dispute New Mexico safety agency's pricey penalty: report

Rust Movie Productions LLC filed a notice of contest on Tuesday, disputing the findings by the New Mexico Environmental Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau.

"The supposed ‘fire extinguisher’ NMED claims should have been inspected and maintained is not a real fire extinguisher – it is a special effects device used to create fake smoke," the motion states, per The Hollywood Reporter. "The attempt to extend the application of a fire extinguisher regulation to a special effects device shows their misunderstanding of the film industry."

Last month, the safety board issued Rust Movie Productions its highest level of citation and maximum fine allowable by state law following its investigation into the deadly discharge in October 2021 that left the 42-year-old mother of one dead and film director Joel Souza wounded.