The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a settlement with Horizon Tool, Inc. of Greensboro, North Carolina, to address alleged violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The settlement requires Horizon Tool to pay a civil penalty of $140,940.
In June 2023, the EPA inspected Horizon Tool's facility and found that between April 2020 and December 2022, the company sold and distributed "AllShield Spray Sanitizer," a product claiming antimicrobial properties for surface sanitization. By July 2023, the EPA determined that Horizon Tool was still offering this product on its website with similar claims. According to FIFRA regulations, products intended to kill or repel bacteria or viruses are classified as pesticides and must be registered with the EPA. The AllShield Spray Sanitizer was not registered as required during its distribution period from 2020 to 2023.
"Pesticides distributed or sold in the United States are required to be registered with the EPA to ensure that the products perform as intended and will not harm people, non-target species, or the environment when used as directed. Companies are responsible for the claims they make about their FIFRA-regulated products," said Keriema Newman, Director of the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division in EPA’s Southeast Region. "The EPA is committed to holding companies accountable for not adhering to federal environmental laws."
For more details on the Consent Agreement and Final Order with Horizon Tool or information about the EPA’s enforcement program and pesticide regulations, visit the Agency’s website.
