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U.S. EPA fines La Rosa, Inc. $26,000 for pesticides violations

Release Date: 10/11/2007
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute (213) 244-1815, Cell (213) 798-1404 arcaute.francisco@epa.gov

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently fined La Rosa, Inc. of Santa Ana, Calif. $26,000 for the alleged manufacturing and sale of unregistered pesticides, a violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

EPA sought this fine from La Rosa, Inc., located at 2111 S. Anne Street, for the sale of two unregistered pesticides, Spa Fungicidal and LaRocide, through nail and beauty supply stores.

“Companies must ensure their products are registered,” said Katherine Taylor, associate director of the Communities and Ecosystems Division in EPA’s Pacific Southwest Office. “The EPA will continue to seek out violators of the federal regulations and level fines in our continuing efforts to protect human health and the environment.”

Product labels contained hospital disinfectant, bactericide, and/or virucide claims and included invalid EPA registration and establishment numbers. The company was also manufacturing at least one of the products at their facility without registering that facility with EPA as required by law.

The case is based on a series of inspections conducted by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation in 2006.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act regulates the sale, distribution, and use of pesticides within the United States. Before selling or distributing any pesticide in the United States, companies must register the pesticide with the EPA. Each producer, seller, and distributor is required pursuant to federal law to ensure that the registered pesticide is labeled in accordance with Agency requirements.

For more information on pesticide regulation and enforcement, please visit: www.epa.gov/pesticides/