EPA requires Syngenta to label pesticides accurately

EPA News Release:

EPA requires Syngenta to label pesticides accurately

CONTACT: Hanady Kader, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-0454, kader.hanady@epa.gov 

(Seattle—May 8, 2014) Syngenta Crop Protection, a pesticide manufacturer based in Greensboro, N.C., has corrected pesticide labeling violations stemming from incorrect labels it gave to a pesticide distributor in Tangent, Oregon, according to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Syngenta has agreed to pay a penalty of $50,100.

“Mislabeled pesticides are dangerous because they may display incorrect warnings and application instructions,” said Kelly McFadden, EPA Pesticide Unit Manager. “Labels protect people who use pesticides and the land on which they’re used.”

Syngenta Crop Protection sold and distributed Quilt Xcel, a broad spectrum fungicide, to Crop Production Services in 2012. The fungicide is used on grains, vegetables, and fruits. Syngenta Crop Protection received federal approval for its Quilt Xcel label and is responsible for providing approved labels to companies that package and/or distribute its products.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) requires that pesticides be properly labelled to ensure the safe handling and application of pesticides. Mislabeled containers pose a risk to human health and the environment because pesticide applicators may mishandle the storage and disposal of containers, which contain pesticide residues.