Two companies whose products are made at a pesticide production facility in Longmont will pay a combined $365,000 in fines for distributing products with outdated labeling, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday.
The EPA has entered settlements with Central Garden & Pet, Inc., of Walnut Creek, California, and Nufarm Americas Inc. of Alsip, Illinois, resolving alleged violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act that occurred at GRO TEC II in Longmont, according to the news release. CG&P will pay a civil penalty of $285,700, Nufarm will pay a civil penalty of $80,000, and both companies must ensure the pesticides they sell and distribute are properly labeled, according to the EPA.
“EPA’s pesticide laws ensure that consumers have clear and current information about products and how to use them safely,” Suzanne Bohan, director of EPA’s regional enforcement program, stated in a news release.
The settlements resulted from a 2016 EPA-led investigation at GRO TEC II in Longmont, which is owned by CG&P, according to the release. The inspection found that CG&P and Nufarm were distributing pesticide products with outdated labeling that was “missing important, current information on how to safely use, store, and dispose of pesticide products,” the EPA stated.
After the inspection, the EPA inspector provided compliance assistance to both companies to ensure the pesticide labeling complied with Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, or FIFRA, requirements.
“FIFRA registration and labeling requirements protect human health and the environment by ensuring pesticides in the marketplace are tested in accordance with specific guidelines and can be safely used for their intended purposes,” the EPA stated in the release.
The EPA evaluates and approves the language that appears on pesticide labels to ensure the directions for use, including safety measures, appropriately address potential risks, according to the release.
