Four Connecticut companies are among a dozen regional businesses sanctioned by federal environmental regulators for allegedly breaching rules for using pesticides.
BioSensory Inc., of Putnam; Phoenix Divina Products, of Plymouth; Rachel Systems, of New Haven; and Gotham Technologies Inc. of Norwalk, have in recent months settled claims brought by the New England regional office of Environmental Protection Agency.
Pesticides is a broad category that includes insecticides, fungicides and rodent-killing chemicals and devices.
Enforcement actions taken against BioSensory was the biggest of the sanctions imposed on Connecticut firms, EPA said.
EPA says it settled days ago claims against BioSensory for alleged FIFRA violations for failing to report annual production and sales data, failing to submit notices of FIFRA-regulated imports, distributing or selling misbranded pesticides or devices, and distributing/selling pesticides for unauthorized uses.
Under the settlement, BioSensory agreed to pay a civil penalty of $50,000 and to certify that they are now complying with FIFRA.
This action followed a prior “Stop Sale Order” issued to address the immediate concerns. BioSensory is in the business of importing, distributing, and selling pesticides and pesticide devices that mitigate and manage insects, including bedbugs.
EPA also announced a series of smaller cases taken against three other Connecticut firms for, it says, failing to properly submit annual production reports to the agency on or before March 1, as required by law.
Gotham Technologies agreed to pay $2,970 to settle.
But two others – Phoenix Divina and Rachel – in lieu of a fine agreed to cancel their pesticide-producing establishment registrations and to neither produce pesticides nor re-register their establishments for at least five years, EPA said.
