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EPA fines Pang & Son for selling illegal pet products

Release Date: 4/25/2005
Contact Information: Dean Higuchi, (808) 541-2711

HONOLULU - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently fined Pang & Son, a company in Honolulu, HI, $10,000 for allegedly selling and distributing unregistered and misbranded pet products, a violation of federal pesticide law.

The EPA and the state of Hawai'i inspectors found that Pang & Son allegedly sold and distributed unregistered versions of "Frontline" and /or "Advantage" -- popular flea and tick control products used on dogs and cats. The counterfeit pesticides appear to have been unlawfully imported and packaged in retail cartons designed to look similar to legitimately registered pesticides sold in the United States.

"We are keeping a close watch throughout the Western U.S. and beyond to penalize companies that are producing and selling illegal pesticides," said Enrique Manzanilla, director of the EPA's communities and ecosystems division for the Pacific Southwest region. "These products can endanger pets and their owners and undercut legitimate businesses that have registered their products and included the proper safety labeling. The EPA will continue to pursue those trafficking in illegal pesticides."

Last year, the EPA ordered 56 companies in seven states to stop selling unregistered pesticide pet products. "Stop Sale" orders were issued to retailers and distributors in California, Hawai'i, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

The EPA's pesticide regulations require registration and approved labels on all pesticide products before they are sold in the United States. Pesticides registered with the agency have an EPA registration number on the label.

The EPA will not register a pesticide without information that shows it will not pose an unreasonable risk when used according to the directions. The agency ensures that pesticide labels provide consumers with the information they need to use the products safely.

For more information, visit the EPA's Web sites on illegal pesticides and illegal pet products, at: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/illegalproducts/ or at https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/petproduct.htm

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