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EPA ANNOUNCES RECALL OF TWO PESTICIDE PRODUCTS SOLD IN FAULTY PULL ‘N SPRAY CONTAINERS
Release Date: 05/30/2000
Contact Information:
FOR RELEASE: TUESDAY, MAY 30, 2000
EPA ANNOUNCES RECALL OF TWO PESTICIDE PRODUCTS
SOLD IN FAULTY PULL ‘N SPRAY CONTAINERS
EPA is announcing a voluntary consumer product safety recall for two faulty Pull ‘N Spray home pesticide products. This alert only affects products sold in Pull ‘N Spray containers; the problem is with the faulty container, not with the pesticide itself. The products are Monsanto Corporation's Roundup® Ready-To-Use Weed and Grass Killer and the Scotts Company's Ortho® Ready-To-Use Home Defense™ Indoor & Outdoor Insect Killer5, both sold in 1.33 gallon plastic containers with a t-handle pump and application wand. This voluntary measure was issued after the manufacturers of the Pull ‘N Spray products reported to EPA calls from consumers who described experiencing mechanical failures with the pump spray causing exposure to the pesticide.
EPA is working with the companies in alerting consumers to return these products to avoid any potential for container failure and, therefore, inadvertent pesticide exposure. Both companies have begun removing more than 1.8 million Pull 'N Spray products from the marketplace. Scotts and Monsanto will modify the containers and make labeling changes before returning the products to the marketplace to ensure the containers function properly. Consumers who have purchased Pull ‘N Spray products should return the container with any remaining contents to the retailer where purchased for a full refund. The containers can be identified by the words Pull ‘N Spray on the label or by the UPC codes. The Roundup® UPC code item numbers are either 70183-58064 or 70183-58065. The Home Defense™ UPC code is 71549-01991. When the mechanism does not function properly, it may spray the pesticide contents onto the user or may pop out of the container and strike the user. The majority of the Pull 'N Spray product incidents were reports of skin and eye irritation associated with leaks resulting from container failures or misuses. On rare occasions, a small number of consumers have reported some respiratory difficulty associated with exposure to the Home Defense product.
EPA is reminding consumers to always read the label first before using pesticides in and around their homes or on their lawns and follow all label instructions. As an added precaution, consumers may want to wear protective equipment, such as gloves and safety glasses, to avoid potential exposure.
For additional information about returns and refunds for these Pull ‘N Spray products, consumers should call the Manufacturers’ Consumer Helpline at 1-800-225-2883. For additional information on the products, see: www.epa.gov/pesticides.
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