Information Releases from Headquarters›Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA)
Safety towards coronavirus amongst false or deceptive claims
06/11/2020
WASHINGTON (June 11, 2020) — The U.S. Environmental Safety Company (EPA) ordered Amazon Providers LLC and eBay Inc. to cease promoting a variety of pesticide merchandise. These merchandise are unregistered, misbranded, or restricted-use pesticides, and pesticide units that make false or deceptive claims. As two of the biggest e-commerce marketplaces, each firms oversee hundreds of thousands of product listings, via both direct or third-party gross sales. The merchandise topic to EPA’s orders additionally embrace a number of merchandise which can be marketed with false or deceptive claims of efficacy towards the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the reason for COVID-19.
“These cease sale orders to Amazon and eBay exhibit the Trump Administration’s continued dedication to defending the well being and security of People,” stated EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “We stay vigilant towards the claims of producers that falsely assert their efficacy and security. Of specific concern are merchandise that falsely declare to be efficient towards COVID-19. It’s our obligation to proceed clear communication with the general public on unregistered merchandise which will trigger damage to shoppers, and instantly take away them from commerce.”
“American shoppers have to know that the pesticide merchandise they buy on-line are efficient and secure for his or her use,” stated EPA Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Susan Bodine. “The orders we’re issuing are two examples of EPA’s persevering with dedication to cease illegal gross sales of unregistered, mislabeled and restricted use pesticides on retail web sites.”
“The proliferation of unregistered pesticides within the e-commerce market, particularly throughout this unprecedented time, poses a major and rapid well being threat to shoppers, youngsters, pets, and others uncovered to the merchandise,” stated EPA Area 10 Administrator Chris Hladick.
In April, Administrator Wheeler held discussions with Amazon, eBay, and different e-marketplaces on the supply of merchandise which can be unregistered, are registered however could also be used solely by skilled applicators, or that make unsubstantiated and doubtlessly harmful claims. Regardless of these discussions, Amazon and eBay have to this point did not constantly maintain unregistered, misbranded, or restricted-use pesticides, and pesticide units off their web sites.
EPA’s motion prohibits Amazon and eBay from distributing, promoting, or providing on the market the merchandise listed on the tables hooked up to the cease sale orders.
Not one of the pesticides within the Amazon order are registered with EPA – which is a requirement on the market within the U.S. – and thus didn’t bear a rigorous scientific course of to make sure effectiveness and security. Merchandise which were correctly registered bear EPA-approved labeling evaluated to guard customers by giving necessary info on security and use.
Along with unregistered pesticides, the eBay order contains pesticides categorized for restricted use. It’s illegal to promote some of these merchandise to most of the people as a result of they’ve the potential to trigger damage to human well being and the setting with out extra restrictions.
In its orders, EPA additionally notes that the labeling of a few of the unregistered or misbranded pesticides and pesticide units contains the next violative statements:
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“Kills COVID-19”
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“Full sterilization together with the present pandemic virus”
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“Coronavirus disinfectant”
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“2020 Coronavirus Safety Coronavirus Safety Clearance Sale”
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“A Highly effective, Inexperienced, Non-Poisonous Answer Confirmed to Inactivate our present viral pressure”
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“Epidemic Prevention”
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“Environment friendly disinfection to stop the unfold of illness”
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“Assist maintain your loved ones and people you take care of wholesome”
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“Unhazardous causes no everlasting accidents”
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“Components are biodegradable and haven’t any dangerous affect on the setting”
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“There isn’t any injury to the setting”
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“You may simply purify the residing setting”
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“Protected for all folks utilizing”
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“Mild to Youngster & Pets”
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“Chemical Free”
The units listed on the tables hooked up to the orders additionally lack EPA institution numbers from the place the merchandise have been produced.
A very egregious instance of the merchandise discovered on Amazon is a product containing Chlorine Dioxide. There are a number of variations of the product that maintain showing on the Amazon website every with little or no to no English-language directions. The merchandise are being offered with unprovable claims of sanitizing and disinfecting hospitals, places of work and houses.
Product listings on eBay.com included 55-gallon drums of Methylene Chloride that have been marketed to be used as a coronavirus disinfectant and paint stripper. Not solely is Methylene Chloride unapproved to be used towards the novel coronavirus, beneath the Poisonous Substances Management Act, EPA banned the retail sale of Methylene Chloride to shoppers for paint elimination functions resulting from acute fatalities that resulted from publicity to the chemical.
One other product, Virus Shut Out, claimed to be a spatial disinfection card that would offer coronavirus safety to the wearer. Virus Shut Out was topic to earlier enforcement by EPA. Yet one more product, Xtreme-Bio, claimed to be exempt from EPA regulation and made completely with “clear, inexperienced, secure, environmentally pleasant components” whereas additionally claiming to deactivate the virus inflicting COVID-19.
At the moment’s cease sale orders are essential to defending human well being and the setting throughout the from deceptive and dangerous claims from two of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms, particularly throughout the COVID-19 public well being emergency.
To view the Amazon Providers LLC cease sale order, please go to: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/stop-sale-use-or-removal-order-issued-amazoncom-services-llc
To view the eBay Inc. cease sale order, please go to: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/stop-sale-use-or-removal-order-issued-ebay-inc
In 2018, Amazon Providers LLC settled allegations that Amazon dedicated practically 4 thousand violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act – relationship again to 2013 – for promoting and distributing overseas pesticide merchandise that weren’t licensed on the market in america.
EPA’s advisory on “What You Have to Know Relating to Merchandise Making Claims to Kill the Coronavirus1 Inflicting COVID-19” could also be discovered right here: https://www.epa.gov/websites/manufacturing/recordsdata/2020-05/paperwork/cornavirus-compliance-advisory.pdf
For extra info on the coronavirus: www.epa.gov/coronavirus
Members of the general public may also help defend our surroundings by figuring out and reporting environmental violations. Study extra right here: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/report-environmental-violation-general-information