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So. Calif. chemical company will pay $31,200 for pesticide violations

Release Date: 03/27/2006
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute - (213) 244-1815

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined Grow More, Inc., of Gardena, Calif., $31,200 for the alleged sale and distribution of a misbranded antimicrobial disinfectant in violation of federal pesticide law.

The EPA cited Grow More, Inc. for selling and distributing “Naccosan Concentrate Cleaner,” a one-step pesticidal disinfectant designed for use in veterinary clinics and greenhouses to eliminate potentially harmful bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. EPA’s testing of Naccosan’s effectiveness determined that, contrary to the claims on the disinfectant’s label, Naccosan was ineffective against this microorganism.

Due to the Naccosan label’s false statement of its effectiveness, Grow More, Inc. sold and distributed a misbranded pesticide in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, which regulates the sale, distribution, and use of pesticides within the United States.

“Producers of antimicrobial products must ensure that their products kill all the microorganisms claimed on their product labels,” said Enrique Manzanilla, the EPA’s Communities and Ecosystems Division director for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. “Unsubstantiated label claims of effectiveness against bacteria may result in an increased risk to human health and the environment based on these false assurances.”

Before selling or distributing any pesticide in the United States, companies must register the pesticide with the EPA. Each producer, seller, and distributor is required pursuant to federal law to ensure that the registered pesticide is labeled in accordance with Agency requirements. For antimicrobial products, the company must ensure that the pesticide is effective in meeting its labeled claims.

The enforcement action was based on information gathered pursuant to an inspection performed by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation in January 2005 and effectiveness testing carried out by the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance in September 2005.

For more information on pesticide regulation and enforcement, please visit the EPA’s website at: https://www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/fifra/index.html