News Releases from Region 07

Inspection Reveals Pesticide Violations at Quest Products LLC of Linwood, Kan.

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., February 26, 2015) - An inspection of Quest Products LLC of Linwood, Kan., by the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) in August 2013 revealed violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA Region 7 announced today. Quest Products LLC has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $88,533 related to the sale or distribution of unregistered and misbranded pesticides.

In March of 2012, EPA accepted a new pesticide registration which had been submitted by Quest for a product called Reliant Systemic Fungicide. In support of its registration application, Quest attested that it would be using a previously registered source for the active ingredient. Specifically, Quest claimed its product would be a 100 percent repack of another registrant's product.

After EPA received a tip from the registrant of the other product, the KDA performed a producer establishment inspection at the Quest facility in August of 2013, and documented that instead of repacking the product, Quest contracted with multiple toll manufacturers to produce an unregistered product it marketed as Reliant Systemic Fungicide, in violation of its registration and the FIFRA and supporting regulations. The sale or distribution of unregistered, misbranded, or mislabeled pesticides can pose serious risks to human health, plant and animal life, and the environment.

In September 2013, following the KDA inspection, Quest submitted an application to EPA to amend its registration to allow the company, to manufacture Reliant Systemic Fungicide under specific terms instead of repackaging another registered product. EPA approved the amended registration on March 3, 2014.

By agreeing to the settlement with EPA, Quest Products has certified that it is now in compliance with FIFRA and its regulations.