EPA Settles with Paradise City over the Sale of Illegal Disinfectants on Oahu
HONOLULU – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Paradise City Group LLC over claims of illegal sales of unregistered or misbranded pesticide products, including questionable disinfectants and antimicrobials, at their store in Pearl City, Oahu.
Sale and distribution of unregistered or misbranded pesticide products violates the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Under the settlement, 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 that make claims to kill or mitigate pests, including those of a microbial nature, must be registered by the EPA before sale in the U.S.
Public health claims for pesticide products, including disinfectants, can only be made following proper testing and registration with the EPA. The EPA will not register such an item until it has been determined the product will not pose an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment when used according to the label directions. Unregistered pesticides can be harmful to human health, cause adverse effects, and may not be effective against the spread of germs.
For more information on reporting possible violations of environmental laws and regulations, visit EPA’s enforcement reporting website.
For the most up-to-date list of EPA-registered disinfectant products.
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