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A pesticide producer and a telemarketer and distributor in Suffolk County, New York will pay a total of $145,000 for violating the federal pesticide law. Both companies allegedly sold off-spec, misbranded products, with the second also making false claims, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Agency cited the Topaz Turf Corporation in Holtsville and its distributor, Southern Chemical Supply, Inc. in Bohemia. In its complaint, EPA alleged that both companies had been involved in distributing off-spec and misbranded pesticides to the public since at least October 2003. Topaz has agreed to pay $65,000 and Southern has agreed to pay $80,000 in financial penalties under the agreements with EPA being announced today.

“Companies which sell misformulated, unregistered or misbranded pesticides to unsuspecting customers and telemarketers that make misstatements about products will pay a stiff price for their disservice to the public and the environment, both in fines and the trust of their clients,” said EPA Regional Administrator Alan J. Steinberg. “EPA and its partners in the states are keeping a close eye on would be violators.”

Any pesticide product, such as a weed killer, contains a certain percentage of active chemical ingredients approved by EPA for a specific end-use. By law, these registered formulations must match the information on the product label and must have the correct EPA product registration numbers. The percentage of active ingredient in the weed killer sold by Topaz and/or Southern didn’t match the claims made on the labels. In addition, the Agency cited Topaz for selling an unregistered product designed to kill insects on plants and for failing to maintain and furnish records on this product. EPA also found that Southern made misstatements in its telemarketing messages to customers when selling the pesticides.

In February 2006, after discovering the violations during inspections conducted jointly with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, EPA ordered both companies to stop selling their products. Both companies stopped selling the pesticides identified in EPA’s Orders.

Topaz wrote EPA in April 2006 indicating that it had conducted an investigation of the problems in manufacturing and documentation that were uncovered by EPA and the state and that it corrected the problem by implementing a new quality control program during the production process. As part of the settlement, Topaz will submit to EPA a copy of its new program aimed at ensuring the problems in the manufacturing process do not reoccur. Southern Chemical is no longer in business.

Posted under Customer Service, Products

NAFTA boosters are boosting their usefulness after EPA Assistant Administrator Jim Gulliford announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency have given the first joint approval of a “harmonized label” for a pesticide product. The pesticide product is called Far-Go Granular Herbicide in the United States (EPA reg. 10163-287) and Avadex MicroActiv Herbicide in Canada and is registered for use on wheat, barley, beets, lentils and peas.

“As a result of extraordinary collaboration and leadership on the part of governments, growers, and pesticide producers, now joint U.S./Canadian pesticide labels are a reality,” said EPA Assistant Administrator Jim Gulliford. “Joint approvals maintain high safety standards, help ensure producers have pest control tools available, and advance the goal of a North American market for pesticides.”

A harmonized label allows for cross-border movement of pesticide product since the harmonized package labeling satisfies the regulatory requirements in both countries with unique use directions to accommodate differences in the two countries’ use patterns. Thus, the harmonized labels safeguard public health protections in both the United States and Canada.

Currently, 12 more pesticide products are in the pipeline for NAFTA label development. Besides making more choices available, the end result could be lower prices for consumers says Consumer Help Web president Joan Bounacos. “More products mean more choice and that ultimately leads to a wider range of prices,” said the consumer advocacy company’s CEO. “NAFTA is just one mechanism that allows trade to flow freely between partner countries and increase the choices available. Higher end products will naturally move to that end of the cost scale while other products fight to be the low cost provider. This creates more job, saves consumers money and even brings about more jobs. It’s a win-win-win scenario.”

Posted under Products