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EPA orders Scotts to stop selling certain pesticides (News Release 04/23/08) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -No. 08-OPA073 (Chicago, Ill. - April 23, 2008) U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 today issued a "stop sale, use or removal" order against Scotts Miracle Gro Co. and three affiliates, all of Marysville, Ohio, for illegal, unregistered and misbranded pesticides. EPA will also issue a stop sale order to Scotts Lawn Care Service. Scotts has agreed to recall these products from all retail locations across the United States and to set up a process for consumers to safely return any unregistered products they may have purchased. An EPA consumer hotline to answer questions about the action has been established at 888-838-1304 (9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m, Central Daylight Time). Questions may also be answered by the National Pesticide Information Center at 800-858-7378 (6:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, including weekends). A fact sheet and regularly updated information are posted online at ttp://www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/ptb/news/ At this time the risks, if any, posed by these unregistered products are unknown. EPA and its state partner Ohio Department of Agriculture are conducting a laboratory analysis of these products. Updated information will be posted online when it becomes available. Until EPA has more information about the contents of these products, consumers are advised not to use these products and to store them in a safe, cool and dry place such as a garage or utility shed. Do not dispose of them down the drain, in the garbage or at a community disposal site. EPA ordered the companies, collectively an international producer and distributor of lawn care products, to immediately stop selling and distributing two products which can be identified by the invalid "EPA registration number" listed on the package. Invalid registration number 62355-4 is marketed under names including "Garden Weed Preventer + Plant Food" and "Miracle Gro Shake 'n' Feed All Purpose Plant Food Plus Weed Preventer." Invalid registration number 538-304 is used primarily by Scotts Lawn Service, a lawn care company. It is marketed under names including "Scotts Lawn Service Fertilizer with .28% Halts," "Scotts Lawn Service Fertilizer 0-0-7 Plus .28% Halts Pro," "Scotts Lawn Service Fertilizer 14-2-5 Plus .28% Halts Pro" and "Scotts Lawn Service Fertlizer 22-0-8 Plus .28% Halts Pro." In an effort to make sure these products are immediately removed from the marketplace, EPA will also issue stop sale orders to major retailers that carry these products. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, all pesticides must be submitted to EPA for review, evaluation and registration to ensure that they do not pose an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment. EPA's review and registration process is internationally recognized. Pesticide products that have not undergone EPA review may pose risks to human health and the environment. "A manufacturer such as Scotts cannot ignore the important legal requirement of registering its pesticides," said Region 5 Administrator Mary A. Gade. "This is a serious violation of EPA's system for protecting people and the environment from the potential harmful effects of pesticides. EPA will fully investigate this violation and take appropriate actions. We are committed to keeping the public informed about any health consequences and providing information to assure the safe recall of these products as soon as possible." Contact Information: Mick Hans, 312-353-5050, hans.mick@epa.gov Karen Thompson, 312-353-8547, thompson.karen@epa.gov Rafael P. Gonzalez, 312-886-0269, gonzalez.rafaelp@epa.gov For more information on pesticides, go to http://www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/ptb/pe st ________________________________________________________________________ 1) Corrections Made to PR Notice 2007-4, Labeling Revisions Required by the Final Rule EPA has posted a corrected version of Pesticide Registration Notice 2007-4, Labeling Revisions Required by the Final Rule "Pesticide Management and Disposal; Standards for Pesticide Containers and Containment" to the web. The Agency made some editorial corrections, including an amendment to the label language in Appendix B of the PR Notice to accurately repeat what is required by the container and containment regulations. The PR Notices are available at: http://www.epa.gov/PR_Notices/pr2007-4.pdf. _________________________________________________________________________ EPA Requires Safety Measures for Rodent-Control Products to Protect Children and Wildlife (News Release) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Thursday, May 29, 2008 Contact (Press only): Dale Kemery, (202) 564-4355 / kemery.date@epa.govmery.dale@epa.gov (Washington, D.C. - May 29, 2008) New safety measures announced today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will protect children from accidental exposure to rodent-control products. These measures will also reduce the risk of accidental poisonings of pets and wildlife. EPA is requiring that ten rodenticides used in bait products marketed to consumers be enclosed in bait stations, making the pesticide inaccessible to children and pets, and is also prohibiting the sale of loose bait, such as pellets, for use in homes. "The new restrictions will better protect our children, pets and wildlife from thousands of accidental exposures that occur every year," said EPA Assistant Administrator Jim Gulliford. "These practical and low cost measures provide protection while ensuring rodent control products will continue to be effective and affordable for all consumers." Rodenticide products containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone and difenacoum are known to pose the greatest risk to wildlife and will no longer be allowed to be sold or distributed in the consumer market. Bait stations will be required for all outdoor, above-ground uses for products containing these ingredients. EPA believes that these steps will significantly reduce the amount of product in the environment, providing additional protection for wildlife from poisonings by these more toxic and persistent products. EPA is requiring that companies manufacturing these products respond to EPA within 90 days regarding their intention to comply with the new requirements. Over the past 10 years, EPA has used a public process and rigorous scientific information to evaluate and address the risks associated with use of the rodenticides as part of the EPA's mandate to ensure that all pesticides meet current health and safety standards. For additional information, visit:tp://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/rodenticides/finalriskdecision.htm http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/rodenticides/finalriskdecision.htm _________________________________________________________________________ Pesticide Issues in the Works Explores Emerging Issues EPA has a new Web page, Pesticide Issues in the Works. The fact sheets on this page are designed to provide information about issues that are under consideration within the pesticide program but that may be early in the development process or for which information is currently limited. We want to let the public know we are involved in these issues and to provide what information we can. The first two issues are colony collapse disorder and pesticide volatilization. Subsequent topics will be added as they become available. The Web page is available at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/intheworks/. *************************************************************************** POTATO LATE BLIGHT TARGETED Two European groups have joined forces to form the Potato Late Blight Network for Europe (EuroBlight). The intent is to focus on _Phytophthora infestans_ and, through workshops and communication, devise effective integrated management systems. Topics addressed during a 2007 workshop ranged across decision support systems, host preferences, efficacy of fungicides, epidemiology, and the impact of what is labeled the "2006 epidemic." A follow-on workshop has been scheduled for October 2008. The organization's website, http://www.euroblight.nethoffers access to various reports, fungicide data, and links to other related resources. --excerpted, with thanks, from the EuroBlight website. [#] **********************************************************************
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This Page Last updated June 2008 |
