Jan 27, 2006

EPA Stops Illegal PesticidesSource: EPA

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced more than 100 stop sale orders nationwide to importers and distributors of unregistered pesticides manufactured by RepelleX Lawn and Garden Products, a Canadian company.

EPA has determined that three RepelleX products claiming to contain “quaternary ammonium salts” are pesticides and subject to registration requirements under Section 3 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The products are: RepelleX 14-2-2 ML2 Fertilizer Tablets, RepelleX Deer Repellent Concentrate and Bulb Saver Concentrate. Under FIFRA, EPA reviews and registers all pesticide products sold and distributed in the United States to ensure that, when used according to approved label instructions, they do not pose an unreasonable risk to people’s health or the environment.

“Despite repeated warnings, RepelleX has continued to sell and distribute this product illegally,” said Scott Downey, EPA’s pesticide and toxics manager in Seattle, Wash. “Consumers and business owners need to be aware that most pesticides must be registered with EPA. Unregistered pesticides have not been thoroughly tested and can contain unknown ingredients, which may be a risk to the public or the environment.

The stop sale, use or removal orders are being sent to all known importers and distributors that have purchased or sold RepelleX products in the last year. The stop sale orders warn that any future imports, sales or distribution of illegal RepelleX products may result in civil penalties of up to $6,500 per act. Importers and distributors are also instructed to remove the products from store shelves, record inventories and dispose of the products in accordance with state and local laws. ?These stop sale use and removal orders were issued after EPA attempted to work cooperatively with RepelleX for more than two years to help the company understand and comply with the U.S. laws and regulations.