The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in a news release Thursday that it reached a $50,578 settlement with Bear River Supply Inc., a California-based pesticide company, which purportedly sold pesticide that was misbranded and produced in an unregistered facility.
The statement explained that although Bear River Supply produced pesticides, it allegedly did not register its establishment, sold misbranded pesticides, and did not properly maintain its equipment. The EPA said that prior to this settlement, the company corrected these violations.
Amy Miller, an EPA enforcement and compliance assurance director, said that “pesticide manufacturers must be registered to produce pesticides, properly label products and ensure pesticide loading areas have proper secondary containment to prevent chemical releases.”
According to the EPA, they found through inspections that Vistaspray 440 Spray Oil and Roundup PowerMax were repackaged at the Bear River Supply’s facilities but not given proper labeling. The facility, which was not registered, also had an inadequate system for containing potential spills.
The news release explained that, under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, facilities that manufacture pesticides have to be registered through the EPA and are required to report pesticide production to the EPA each year. Additionally, companies manufacturing pesticides are required to place a number referring to the establishment on each product they produce, to allow for the products to be tracked back to the producer and ensure safe distribution.
Val Dolcini, director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) said, “(O)ur staff inspect agricultural dealerships throughout California to ensure compliance with federal and state pesticide rules and regulations. … This settlement underscores the importance of DPR’s partnership with our federal colleagues at EPA to enforce laws that protect public health and the environment.”
