National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration- NOAA: U.S. Winter and February Cooler Than AverageNOAA’s State of the Climate report for the winter season (December through February) and the month of February, state that temperatures were below normal for the contiguous United States. The winter season was wetter than normal; however precipitation in February alone was slightly below average. […]
- NOAA’s Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Propose ESA Listing Changes for the Loggerhead Sea TurtleNOAA’s Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), jointly referred to as the Services, announced today their joint determination that the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is globally comprised of nine distinct population segments (DPSs) that qualify as “species” for listing as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Sp […]
- Hurricane Forecasters Bring Preparedness Message to Atlantic, Mexico and CaribbeanNOAA and the U.S. Air Force Reserve will host a series of public events from March 18 to 27 in six coastal communities in Bermuda, Mexico and the Caribbean to urge residents to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season. […]
- NOAA: U.S. Winter and February Cooler Than Average
- Sea Shephard Ocean Protection
- Sea Shepherd Captain Peter Bethune Takes on JapanSea Shepherd Captain Peter Bethune Takes on Japan The Japanese whaling ship Shonan Maru 2 arrived in Tokyo today with the first New Zealand prisoner of war to be transported to Japan as a political prisoner since World War II. As soon as his foot touched Japanese soil, Captain Bethune reestablished himself as a national hero in New Zealand and an internation […]
- Australian Federal Police Return Sea Shepherd’s LogbooksAustralian Federal Police Return Sea Shepherd’s Logbooks No Charges and All Crew are Free to Go Where They Wish On March 11, the Australian Federal police returned the logbooks for the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker. No arrests have been made following the raid on the two ships based on a request by the Japanese government. Sea Shepherd expects no arrests. […]
- Shepherds Bust the Hump in Santa MonicaShepherds Bust the Hump in Santa Monica The plan to bust the Hump restaurant in Santa Monica was launched months ago when Sea Shepherd Outreach Coordinator Zoli Teglas first told me about a Santa Monica restaurant serving whale meat. I thought he was joking. But it was not a joke, and Zoli set about organizing a sting operation recruiting Charles Hambleton f […]
- Sea Shepherd Captain Peter Bethune Takes on Japan
- Environmental Protection Agency
- A Place I Knew Nothing AboutWe took off with hiking packs, a tent and fins, carrying even fewer plans and expectations; to a place I hardly knew about. The more we discovered that very little was written about our destination, it drew even more appeal. I just couldn’t wait. Over 30 hours after leaving Boston, my adventure companion and I landed [...] […]
- In the Trenches: Moderation for OpenGovI’m a 20 year EPA staffer and Computer Specialist doing much more than computers these days. One of my tasks is to help moderate comments that come in to the EPA’s Open Government discussion forum. I’ve quickly come to realize that moderating comments in the public arena, especially in these sometimes politically-charged times, requires a curious [...] […]
- To Catch Or To Kill (Part 2)Following up on last week’s blog post, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of comments sent in favor of the “catch and release” school when it comes to eliminating rodents. Since my last blog, I’m pleased to report that we have not had any other unwanted visitors of the rodent family. It’s obvious that [...] […]
- A Place I Knew Nothing About
- Environment
- Bust the Hump in Santa MonicaThe plan to bust the Hump restaurant in Santa Monica was launched months ago when Sea Shepherd Outreach Coordinator Zoli Teglas first told me about a Santa Monica restaurant serving whale meat. I thought he was joking. But it was not a joke, and Zoli set about organizing a sting operation recruiting Charles Hambleton from the [...] […]
- Bust the Hump in Santa Monica
EPA Orders Scotts to Stop Selling Certain Pesticides
* Twenty-Four Pesticide Products Affected
* What happened?
o Pesticides containing unapproved ingredients
o Pesticides containing false, misleading or unsubstantiated label claims
o Pesticides with improper or insufficient labeling
o Pesticides sold before EPA registration approval and containing false or misleading label claims or lacking proper safety instructions
o Unregistered pesticide products
+ EPA Analysis of Unregistered Scotts’ Products (June 10, 2008
* EPA and Scotts Agree to the recall of Pesticides (May 9, 2008)
* What should you do?
* For more information
In Spring 2008, EPA began issuing enforcement actions against The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and its affiliates (Marysville, OH) due to problems that have been identified with some of its products. This Web page describes the status of the various products subject to EPA enforcement action.
In April and May 2008, EPA ordered The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and its affiliates (Marysville, OH), as well as major retailers, to stop distributing and selling four pesticide products that were unregistered or improperly labeled. Scotts recalled these products from retailers, consumers, and the company’s lawn care affiliate, Scotts LawnService. On October 31, 2008, EPA issued an Amended Stop Sale Order that allows Scotts to sell one of these products (“SouthernMax” or “Scotts Bonus S Max Southern Weed & Feed and Fire Ant Killer”) provided the product is properly labeled according to EPA requirements.
As part of EPA’s investigation into Scotts pesticide products, in June, September and October 2008, and January and February 2009 EPA issued “stop sale, use or removal” orders for 19 more Scotts products that are unregistered, improperly labeled, make false or misleading claims, contain statements that EPA did not approve as part of the products’ registration, or make claims that were not supported by submissions of required scientific studies. Additional information is provided below about each product and the issues of concern.
Retailers can continue to distribute and sell their current stock of the 19 products affected by the June, September and October stop sale orders. However, certain stocks that remain in Scotts’ facilities must be relabeled or repackaged with EPA-accepted labels. EPA may amend or issue stop sale orders that would allow Scotts to resume selling and distributing some of these products from its facilities once they are properly labeled according to EPA requirements. One Scotts’ product will be returned to its manufacturer, Golden Gate Designs, for appropriate handling or modification. While EPA is allowing products already in the hands of retailers to be sold, consumers can contact Scotts at 1 (888) 270-3714 or through their web site at www.scotts.com, to obtain corrected label directions.
Before a pesticide can be sold or distributed, it must be registered with EPA to protect public health and the environment. As part of the registration process, a company must ensure the pesticide meets the claims made on its label. To ensure the safe use of pesticides, companies are also required by federal law to provide accurate information and instructions on the product label. Companies wanting to amend pesticide labels are required to seek EPA approval. Pesticide products must comply with federal regulations to maintain consistency, avoid confusion, and ensure that products can be used properly and safely.