Contact Us

Newsroom

All News Releases By Date

 

MISSOURI LAB CITED FOR SELLING INEFFECTIVE HOSPITAL AND TUBERCULOCIDAL PRODUCTS

Release Date: 10/14/99
Contact Information:


FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, OCT. 14, 1999
MISSOURI LAB CITED FOR SELLING INEFFECTIVE
HOSPITAL AND TUBERCULOCIDAL PRODUCTS

On Sept. 30, EPA issued a complaint against Wexford Labs Inc., of Kirkwood, Mo., and is seeking a civil penalty of $224,000 from the company for violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). EPA alleges that the company failed to notify the Agency in a timely manner about factual information regarding unreasonable adverse effects of its pesticides Super Wex-Cel, EPA Reg. No. 34810-7 and Wex-Cide, EPA Reg. No. 34810-8, as well as sold and distributed ineffective hospital disinfectant and tuberculocidal products. The products are registered for disinfecting floors, walls, bathroom fixtures and shower stalls and for use in hospitals, nursing homes, nurseries, operating rooms, and other health care facilities. Six sample products failed government efficacy tests when used according to label directions. Under FIFRA, EPA requires companies that register pesticides to submit many types of tests, including studies of potential risks of the pesticides to human health and the environment and tests that show that the product is effective as claimed on the label. Disinfectant products play an important role in infection control; health care providers, consumers, and others rely on EPA's registration of these products as evidence that they work as claimed on the label. Registrants have 30 days to respond to the complaints and may request a hearing to contest the facts in the complaint or the size of the penalty. A copy of the complaint can be obtained by calling EPA’s hearing clerk at 202-260-4865.

R-125 # # #