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Illinois Producer and Missouri Distributor to Pay Civil Penalties for Pair of Misbranded Disinfectant and Sanitizer Products

Release Date: 10/20/2010
Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, whitley.christopher@epa.gov


Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Oct. 20, 2010) - An Illinois manufacturer and registrant for two disinfectant and sanitizer products, and a Missouri company that served as an authorized distributor of the products, have agreed to pay civil monetary penalties to settle allegations that they held for sale misbranded versions of the products in violation of federal pesticide regulations.

Stepan Company, of Northfield, Ill., will pay a civil penalty of $10,200, and Consolidated Products, Inc., of Pagedale, Mo., will pay a civil penalty of $5,148, according to separate but related administrative consent agreements filed by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan.

Stepan is the official EPA registrant for a veterinary disinfectant known as Kennel Clean, and for a dairy and food processing cleaner and sanitizer known as Al-Brite. Consolidated Products serves as an authorized supplemental distributor of the two products, which are regulated as pesticides.

During an inspection of Consolidated Products’ facilities in January 2010, a representative of the Missouri Department of Agriculture collected evidence that the company was holding quantities of Kennel Clean and Al-Brite for sale or distribution in packaging that did not include proper labeling. Labels for both products held for sale lacked accurate net contents statements and had precautionary statements that differed from those on the EPA-accepted labels. The label for Kennel Clean lacked complete information on the virucidal activity of the product. The label for Al-Brite lacked the required warning, “May be fatal if absorbed through skin,” and additionally lacked required first aid language from the EPA-accepted label.

Further investigation showed that the misbranded products were distributed to Consolidated Products by Stepan, in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

The sale or distribution of misbranded or mislabeled pesticides can pose serious risks to human health, plant and animal life, and the environment. Without proper labeling or safety instructions on packaging, users can unintentionally misapply pesticides and may not have adequate information to address needs for first aid in the event of emergency.

Through their approvals of the respective settlements, Stepan and Consolidated Products have both certified that their operations are now in compliance with FIFRA and its regulations.