Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News Releases

EPA hands down penalties to Rhode Island corporation for FIFRA violations

North Kingstown, R.I.-based business will settle alleged violations for misbranded pesticide devices

July 9, 2024

Contact Information
James Anderson (anderson.james.r@epa.gov)
(617) 918-1401
EPA Region 1 Press Office (R1_Press@epa.gov)

BOSTON (July 9, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement with Ocean State Jobbers, Inc., doing business as Ocean State Job Lot, a corporation based out of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, for alleged violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, also known as FIFRA. Under the settlement, the corporation has agreed to pay a penalty of $53,500 to resolve alleged violations of FIFRA involving the import, distribution and sale of misbranded bug zapper pesticide devices that were imported through Ports of Entry in Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts.

"The consumer deserves accuracy and demands accountability when it comes to products they purchase." said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This settlement serves as a reminder that thoroughness is required, and not merely a suggestion, and that anyone importing pesticide devices into the U.S. needs to follow the proper ground rules to do so legally."

EPA alleged that Ocean State Job Lot imported, distributed or sold the misbranded bug zapper devices between February 2020 and April 2023. Bug zappers are regulated as "devices" under FIFRA because they are instruments that use physical mechanisms (in this case, electricity) to trap, destroy, repel, or mitigate a pest. The bug zappers were misbranded due to the lack of an EPA Establishment Number on the product labels. The EPA Establishment Number is a unique number assigned to the facility where the pesticide devices were produced. Ocean State Job Lot also failed to file the required Notices of Arrival for imports of the bug zappers during this period.

About the company

Ocean State Job Lot is a regional corporation headquartered in Rhode Island that operates a chain of discount retail stores, across New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The company sells a variety of products including household goods, apparel, pet supplies, seasonal items, and more. The corporation employs approximately 5,600 associates, with annual sales exceeding $800 million.

More information

EPA Importing and Exporting Pesticides and Devices: https://www.epa.gov/compliance/importing-and-exporting-pesticides-and-devices

Pesticide Devices: A Guide for Consumers: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/pesticide-devices-guide-consumers

Related Links

  • Region 01
  • Read other EPA News Releases about Compliance and Enforcement
  • Read other EPA News Releases about Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals
Contact Us about News Releases
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on July 9, 2024
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.