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U.S. EPA settles with three Southern California pesticide companies; fines total $18,200

Release Date: 7/11/2005
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute, U.S. EPA, (213) 244-1815, Cell: (213) 798-1404, Main press line: (415) 947-8700

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has settled with three Southern California pesticide companies for failing to submit their 2004 pesticide reports on time, a violation of the federal pesticide law.

"The EPA uses pesticide reports to track pesticide production, their safe management and distribution; companies must report their pesticide production accurately and on time," said Enrique Manzanilla, the EPA's Communities and Ecosystems Division director for the Pacific Southwest region. "Because of the potential for pesticides to impact public health, this agency will see that pesticide laws are actively enforced."

The three firms are:
OPI Products, Inc., of North Hollywood, Calif., which settled for $6,500. This company was subject to a 2004 EPA action due to similar violations.

GenLabs Corporation, of Chino, Calif., which settled for $5,200. This company received a warning letter from the EPA for failing to report pesticide reports in 2004.

Medical Chemical Corporation of Torrance, Calif., which settled for $6,500. This company was subject to a 2004 EPA action due to similar violations.

Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, companies must annually report pesticide production to the EPA; production records provide information on the quantity of pesticides produced and where they are produced.

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