All News Releases By Date

EPA Cites Pine Grove, Pa. Lab for Violating Federal Pesticide Law

Release Date: 04/16/2008
Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113 / heron.donna@epa.gov

PHILADELPHIA (April 16, 2008) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that is has issued an administrative complaint to Paradigm Labs, Inc., for violating federal pesticide regulations at its facility in Pine Grove, Pa. The complaint seeks a civil penalty of $53,145.

The complaint cites Paradigm for alleged violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), a federal law regulating the production, distribution and use of pesticide products. FIFRA requires the registration of pesticide products and pesticide-production facilities, and the proper labeling of pesticides. These requirements protect public health and the environment by ensuring the safe production, handling and application of pesticides; and by preventing false, misleading or unverifiable product claims. FIFRA also prohibits the marketing of misbranded, improperly labeled or adulterated pesticides.

EPA’s complaint cites the company for violations related to the sale and distribution of three of the company’s pesticidal products, Microbloc MMR, DSP, and MSE, from June-September 2006. None of these three products were registered pesticides. The violations were discovered after an inspection by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) in September 2006.

EPA’s complaint also alleges that these three products were misbranded because information on the product labels failed to list the EPA establishment number and failed to express active and/or inert ingredients as a percentage of weight. Also, the total percentage of active and inert ingredients failed to total 100 percent. The complaint’s seven misbranding counts also result from the seven sales of mislabeled products in June-September 2006.

The company has the right to a hearing to contest the alleged violations and proposed penalty.

For more information about EPA’s pesticide program, visit www.epa.gov/pesticides/