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U.S. EPA fines The Clorox Company for violating federal pesticide laws

Release Date: 04/09/2007
Contact Information: Margot Perez-Sullivan, [email protected] Desk/415.947.4149/Cell 415.760.9161

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently filed a complaint seeking $177,300 against The Clorox Company, an Oakland, Calif.-based manufacturer, for the alleged distribution of unregistered and mislabeled disinfectant bleach intended only for Asian export.

The EPA is seeking a penalty from The Clorox Company, located at 1221 Broadway for distributing export-only unregistered pesticides within the United States. In addition, the disinfectants contained Chinese and English labeling, without adequate directions for use and lacked the required statement: “Not Registered for Use in the United States of America.”

“Companies must ensure that all pesticides meant solely for export do not enter into the U.S. market,” said Enrique Manzanilla, the EPA’s Community and Ecosystems Division director for the Pacific Southwest. “Selling or distributing unregistered, mislabeled pesticides is a serious violation that can result in harm to public health and the environment.”

Discrepancies identified in The Clorox Company’s 2005 pesticide production report led EPA enforcement officials to conduct a detailed investigation that uncovered 38 violations of federal pesticide law.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act requires companies that produce export-only unregistered pesticides, including disinfectants, to report that production annually. These unregistered pesticides must be clearly marked with the required labeling to prevent the products from inadvertently entering the U.S. market. These requirements protect public health and the environment by ensuring safe and effective handling, application, and disposal of pesticides, and by preventing false, misleading, or unverifiable product claims. The law also prohibits marketing of misbranded, improperly labeled, or adulterated pesticides.

For more information on pesticide regulation and enforcement, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/