EPA to protect public from unregistered pesticides

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently filed a complaint against Peoria, Ariz.-based Granite Marketing, Inc. for the alleged sale and distribution of an unregistered pesticide in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

The EPA is seeking up to $5,200 in civil penalties from Granite Marketing, Inc., located at 8190 W. Deer Valley Road, for offering for sale the unregistered antimicrobial pesticide known as Titania Antibacterial System.

"Companies must ensure that products that claim to act as antimicrobials are registered with the EPA,” said Katherine Taylor, Associate Director of the EPA’s Communities and Ecosystems Division for the Pacific Southwest region. “Without the required registrations, we have no information on the potential effects of these products, which could result in serious harm to public health and the environment.”

The violation was identified through an inspection conducted by U.S. EPA Region IX on November 21, 2008.

The sale or distribution of a pesticide that has not been registered with the EPA is a violation of federal pesticide law, which requires registration of pesticide products and pesticide-production facilities, as well as proper pesticide labeling. These requirements protect public health and the environment by minimizing the risks associated with the production, handling, and application of pesticides.