EPA Announces FIFRA/TSCA Settlements with Finland-Based Kemira Group
TSCA/FIFRA Enforcement: EPA continues to steadily increase its enforcement of U.S. chemical control laws. Last Thursday, the EPA announced settlements with two subsidiaries of the Finland-based Kemira Group to resolve alleged violations of Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). Kemira Chemicals agreed to pay a civil penalty of […]
EPA Announces Proposed Revisions to FIFRA Minimum Risk Exemption
FIFRA: In a December 31, 2012 Federal Register notice, (77 Fed. Reg. 76,979) EPA announced a new proposed rule that would revise the labeling requirements for minimum risk pesticide products. The proposed rule affects section 25(b) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (“FIFRA”) by changing how minimum risk pesticides are identified on product […]
EPA Undertakes FIFRA Enforcement Initiative Against Companies Selling Alleged Plant Growth Regulators
FIFRA Enforcement: On September 13, 2012, EPA issued a press release announcing three enforcement actions the agency recently settled against Missouri pesticide distributors under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). EPA alleged the distributors violated FIFRA by selling and distributing unregistered and misbranded pesticides. All three cases involved the sale and distribution of “plant growth regulators,” […]
EPA Levies Record-Setting Penalties under FIFRA
FIFRA Enforcement: On September 7, 2012, EPA and the Department of Justice announced criminal and civil settlements with the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company for alleged violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the federal law governing manufacture, distribution, and sale of pesticides. Scotts produces pesticides for commercial and consumer lawn and garden uses. The case levied the largest criminal penalty, […]
EPA Conditionally Registers Nanosilver Pesticide and NRDC Files Blocking Lawsuit
FIFRA/Nanotechnology: EPA’s Conditional Registration On December 1, 2011, EPA announced that it was conditionally registering a pesticide product containing nanosilver as a new active ingredient. The antimicrobial pesticide product, HeiQ AGS-20, is a silver-based product for use as a preservative for textiles. As a condition of registration, EPA stated that it would require additional data on the product to confirm […]
EPA Assistant Administrator Steve Owens Resigns
EPA Administration/Chemical Regulation: On Tuesday, October 25, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the resignation of Assistant Administrator Steve Owens. Readers will recall that President Obama appointed Mr. Owens the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), which is the office implementing the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Federal […]
Pesticides, Nanoscale Materials, and FIFRA
FIFRA/Nanotechnology: Guest Column: Kathryn Brausch & Irene Hantman Law Clerk & University of Maryland Law Fellow US EPA Office of Civil Enforcement Readers interested in EPA’s regulation of nanoscale materials may want to know about recently proposed policies under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) that would affect the use of nanoscale materials […]
EPA Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee
FIFRA: For readers looking for an update on US EPA FIFRA regulatory, policy and program implementation efforts, consider attending the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) Meeting: Wednesday April 20 & Thursday April 21, 2011. PPDC meetings provide a forum for a diverse group of stakeholders to provide feedback to the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs […]
EPA Reissues FIFRA Guidance on Cleaning Products
FIFRA: On January 11, 2011, EPA issued revised guidance regarding the types of claims that would require registration of cleaning products as pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. §136 et seq. Readers may recall that, in early 2010, the Agency initially issued guidance that could have made claims such as “removes mold, mildew […]
Crocs Shoe Company Settles FIFRA Enforcement Action with EPA
FIFRA: On December 30, 2010, EPA announced a settlement under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) with Crocs, Inc., the company famous for its ubiquitous, colorful foam clogs. EPA alleged that Crocs violated FIFRA by making unsubstantiated antimicrobial health claims on its website, in advertising, and on packaging for several styles of the Company’s shoes. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, […]