The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Paradise City Group LLC regarding the sale of unregistered or misbranded pesticide products, including disinfectants and antimicrobials, at their store in Pearl City, Oahu. The sale and distribution of such products violate the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Under the settlement terms, the company will pay a $54,500 penalty.
“EPA will continue to take action against companies selling supposed disinfectants and antimicrobials that are not effective, do not meet our safety standards, or make false claims,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “Removing such illegal products from the market protects the health of adults, children and pets exposed to these products.”
During a for-cause marketplace inspection in February 2022, EPA discovered various unregistered or misbranded products at the store that made claims such as "sterilization," “sanitizer,” and "antibacterial.” Pesticides claiming to kill or mitigate pests must be registered by the EPA before being sold in the U.S.
Public health claims for pesticide products can only be made following proper testing and registration with the EPA. The agency will not register an item until it has determined that it poses no unreasonable risk to human health or the environment when used according to label directions. Unregistered pesticides can harm human health, cause adverse effects, and may not effectively prevent germ spread.
For more information on reporting possible violations of environmental laws and regulations, visit EPA’s enforcement reporting website.
