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News Releases from Region 05

EPA Settles Case Against Stepan Company for Selling Misbranded Pesticide

Northfield, Illinois company pays $600,000 penalty

07/24/2019
Contact Information: 
Francisco Arcaute (arcaute.francisco@epa.gov)
312-886-7613, 312-898-2042 cell

For Immediate Release No. 19-OPA052

CHICAGO (July 24, 2019) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an agreement with the Stepan Co. of Northfield, Illinois, resolving allegations that the company – through a distribution agreement with the Spartan Chemical Co. – violated the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) on 89 occasions by selling or distributing a misbranded pesticide. Stepan agreed to pay a $612,718 administrative penalty and to coordinate with Spartan to correct the labeling and formulation violations.

“The sale and use of misbranded pesticides pose serious threats to the public health,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Cathy Stepp. “This settlement underscores that companies must ensure that pesticides are registered with the EPA and display approved label instructions so that they can be used safely and effectively.”

Stepan manufactures chemicals that are used as active ingredients in a variety of pesticides and has a history of noncompliance with FIFRA requirements. The Ohio Department of Agriculture referred Stepan’s alleged violations to EPA, which enforces FIFRA’s registration and labeling requirements. 

EPA alleged Stepan through its agent, Spartan Chemical, distributed TB-Cide Quat, an over-formulated and misbranded disinfectant, 87 times. The label for TB-Cide Quat did not include required storage and disposal language. Secondly, Stepan Co. distributed two disinfectants, hdqC2 and HDQL10, twice. The labels for hdqC2 and HDQL10 did not include the required storage and disposal language.

FIFRA helps safeguard the public by ensuring antimicrobial pesticides are determined to be effective and are used, stored and disposed of safely, consistent with approved label directions. Pesticide registration and labeling requirements protect public health and the environment by minimizing risks associated with the production, handling and application of pesticides.

For more information on the agreement:

https://yosemite.epa.gov/oa/rhc/epaadmin.nsf/Advanced%20Search/24CAC9F4DBB136E485258418006E9B84/$File/FIFRA-05-2019-0017%20%20CAFO%20%206-12-2019%20%2019%20PGS.PDF

For more information on pesticides:  www.epa.gov/pesticides.

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