In Philadelphia, Settlement Reached On EPA Pesticide Case

EPA, Oct 12, 2006

PHILADELPHIA -- Wurster Farm & Garden, Inc., owner of the farm and garden store in Dublin, Pa., has agreed to pay a $6,450 penalty to settle alleged violations of a federal pesticide law, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced.

EPA cited the company for violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), which requires EPA registration of pesticide products and production facilities. The law also prohibits the distribution or sale of misbranded, improperly labeled, or adulterated pesticides.

An April 20, 2005, EPA inspection discovered that Wurster Farm was selling an unregistered pesticide product, “Gardeners Disinfectant Betacide Plus+.” The store was also selling a misbranded pesticide device, “Barn and Staple Fly Trap,” that did not have the required production facility registration number.

The settlement penalty reflects the company’s compliance efforts, cooperation with EPA’s investigation, and agreement to settle this matter prior to the issuance of a formal complaint. As part of the settlement, the company neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations, but has certified that it is now in compliance with FIFRA requirements.