EPA Penalizes Univar Solutions $165,000 for Violations of Federal Pesticide Laws

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that Univar Solutions USA, Inc. of Portland, Oregon will pay a $165,000 penalty for violating federal pesticide laws when it failed to properly label its “Woodlife 111” pesticide which is used as a wood preservative.

EPA cited the company for 33 violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act when Univar sold and distributed the misbranded pesticide via bulk shipments.

Under FIFRA, a pesticide is misbranded if, “the labeling accompanying it does not contain directions for use which are necessary … to protect health and the environment” and if “…the label does not contain a warning or caution statement which may be necessary … to protect health and the environment.”

Specifically, the Agency alleged that during a period of 24 months between approximately January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018, Woodlife 111 labels omitted several required sections important for the protection of the handler and for the environment, including user safety requirements, first aid directions, use of personal protective equipment, and portions of the storage and disposal section.

“By their very nature, pesticides can be dangerous to people handling them and the environment where they are used,” said Ed Kowalski, director of EPA Region 10’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “EPA and its state partners will continue to strictly enforce pesticides laws to ensure these potentially dangerous chemicals are safely handled, used, and disposed of.”

The case resulted from an inspection of the Univar facility by Oregon Department of Agriculture’s EPA-credentialed inspectors on March 5, 2019.