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Pesticides enforcement accomplishments, fiscal year 2003
| 2003 Quick Finder | |||
| Introduction to Enforcement Accomplishments , FY 2003 | Air | Pesticides | |
| Land | Supplemental Actions | ||
| Emergency Response & Community Right-To-Know | Water | Criminal investigation | |
EPA's pesticides enforcement team brought 26 actions against companies that violated federal pesticide laws in FY2003, and broke new ground in regulating biotech crops by enforcing the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
EPA fines two biotech seed production companies for mishandling experimental crops
- In December 2002, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., and Dow AgroSciences paid fines totaling nearly $20,000 for failing to comply with EPA's experimental use permits governing the testing of genetically modified corn. As part of its settlement with EPA, Pioneer was required to test its biotech corn grown in Kauai, HI and report its findings to assure that an experimental gene grown in the corn had not been transferred to adjacent seed corn fields. In April 2003, Pioneer paid a fine of $72,000 for failing to immediately notify EPA of certain test results that indicated the experimental gene may have spread to seeds grown nearby. Pioneer performed follow-up testing of the corn indicating that the initial results were either false or attributable to an unrelated field test regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These tests satisfied EPA's requirements. Under FIFRA, EPA regulates biopesticides to ensure that their use will not pose any unreasonable risks of harm to human health and the environment.
EPA fines aerial applicator for allowing pesticide to drift onto residential property.
- EPA fined Crop First Aviation, an aerial pesticide applicator, $5,500 after the company sprayed pesticides, or allowed them to drift onto residential properties adjacent to cotton fields in Queen Creek, AZ. The label directions for these pesticides forbid application when persons other than protected handlers are in the area, or when the pesticides will contact persons either directly or through drift.
EPA cites companies for unproven health claims about surface disinfectant
- EPA settled with Envirosystems, Inc., a San Jose-based company, for making unproven claims about the effectiveness of its surface disinfectant. EPA cited the company's Santa Clara facility for selling Eco Tru, an antimicrobial product designed to reduce the spread of infectious diseases, with labeling that allegedly claimed its effectiveness against hepatitis C.
EPA orders store to pay penalty for pesticide registration violation
- EPA fined Hing Mau, Inc., a grocery store in the Chinatown area of Honolulu, $7,920 for illegally selling and distributing unregistered mothballs. Illegal naphthalene moth repellent products -- mothballs -- pose a hazard to young children. Mothballs can be easily mistaken for candy, or simply tempt young children to touch and play with them. Without such products going through the proper registration process, there is no way of knowing what the products contain and whether they are properly packaged. EPA's pesticide regulations require registration and approved labels on all pesticide products before they are sold in the United States.