To protect public health during pandemic, U.S. EPA orders O‘ahu company Hawaii Unified Industries to stop selling unregistered and misbranded pesticides
HONOLULU – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered O‘ahu-based company Hawaii Unified Industries, LLC DBA HUI Restoration (HUI) to stop distributing and selling two pesticides going by the names “InstaPURE” and “EverPURE” used as part of the company’s two-step dry-fogging service.
EPA has reason to believe that these products are in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. It is critical for public health that EPA take enforcement action against companies selling products making pesticidal claims when those products are not registered and when they make unapproved claims of efficacy against human pathogens.
HUI has advertised InstaPURE and EverPURE to “protect and kill Coronavirus on surfaces for 90 days,” among other unapproved claims. At the time HUI distributed and sold these products, they were not listed on EPA’s List N as disinfectants approved for use against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
“We are dedicated to ensuring disinfectants making public health claims meet EPA’s stringent effectiveness and safety standards,” said EPA’s Pacific Southwest Administrator John Busterud. “During a pandemic, unregistered products with false claims put the public at risk.”
In June 2020, EPA and the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture conducted an inspection at HUI’s office located in Waianae, O‘ahu. EPA conducted a follow-up inspection with HUI’s sub-contractor, Ground Up Pacific Construction, at their facility in Kailua, O‘ahu. During the inspections, InstaPURE and EverPURE products were found to be missing required product labeling. Additionally, EverPURE was not registered as a pesticide by EPA. Furthermore, HUI made claims about InstaPURE and EverPURE that were false or misleading.
Public health claims can only be made regarding antimicrobial disinfectant products that have been properly tested and are registered with the EPA. The agency will not register a disinfectant until it has been determined that it will not pose an unreasonable risk when used according to the label directions. Products not registered by EPA can be harmful to human health, cause adverse effects, and may not be effective against the spread of germs.
To view the most up-to-date list of EPA-registered disinfectant products, visit https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2
For more information on pesticide registration, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration.
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