Wood Treatment Companies Violate Pesticide Laws

Gardner-Fields, Inc. of Tacoma, Washington and IBC Manufacturing Co. of Memphis, Tennessee will be paying fines for violating federal pesticide laws, according to separate settlements announced by the Environmental Protection Agency. During an inspection in September 2008, EPA found that IBC Manufacturing and Gardner-Fields had produced, distributed, and sold four wood preservatives with outdated labels in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Under this act, wood preservatives are considered pesticides that must be registered with the EPA. In addition, pesticides must be distributed and sold with proper labelling and instructions that include important warning and caution statements about the product and detailed directions on the proper use of the product. “Companies that sell or distribute mislabelled pesticides put people’s health and the environment at risk,” said Ed Kowalski, Director of EPA Region 10 Compliance and Enforcement. “Without proper labelling and safety instructions, users can unintentionally misapply pesticides and may lack important information for emergency first aid.” To learn more about EPA’s enforcement of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, please visit their site.