Retailers Ordered to Pull Illegal Miracle-Gro Pesticides

The federal agency ordered the Scotts companies early this week, and now its major distributors and retailers, to immediately stop selling and distributing Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed All Purpose Plant Food Plus Weed Preventer - identified by the invalid "EPA registration number" 62355-4 listed on the package.

The EPA issued "stop sale, use or removal" orders to retailers Home Depot, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Ace, Do-It-Best, True Value, Sam's Club, Meijer and K-Mart.

"We're taking these steps to ensure that the product does not end up in consumer's homes," said EPA Region 5 Administrator Mary Gade from her office in Chicago.

"Our advice to people who have purchased these products is to not use them and store them in a safe, cool and dry place such as a garage or utility shed," she said.

This Scotts product is under investigation by federal and state authorities for an invalid registration number. (Photo credit unknown)

In addition, on Wednesday, EPA Region 5 issued a "stop sale, use or removal" order against Scotts Miracle Gro Co. and three affiliates, all of Marysville, Ohio, for another illegal, unregistered and misbranded pesticide as well as invalid "EPA registration number" 62355-4.

Invalid registration number 538-304 is used primarily by Scotts Lawn Service, a lawn care company.

It is marketed under names including "Scotts Lawn Service Fertilizer with .28% Halts," "Scotts Lawn Service Fertilizer 0-0-7 Plus .28% Halts Pro," "Scotts Lawn Service Fertilizer 14-2-5 Plus .28% Halts Pro" and "Scotts Lawn Service Fertlizer 22-0-8 Plus .28% Halts Pro."

The agency will also issue a stop sale order to Scotts Lawn Care Service.

At this time the risks, if any, posed by these unregistered products are unknown, but the EPA ordered the companies to immediately stop selling and distributing the two products.

Scotts has agreed to recall these products from all retail locations across the United States and to set up a process for consumers to safely return any unregistered products they may have purchased.

Scotts Miracle-Gro chairman and chief executive Jim Hagedorn says the company does not believe either of the products poses any unreasonable risk to human health or the environment. He said company officials have been cooperating with the government since April 10 when they learned of the investigation by the U.S. Justice Department, the EPA and the state of Ohio.

"Our compliance with government regulations is not optional," Hagedorn. "We have been cooperating with the government since we learned of the investigation and were prepared, as requested, to provide the EPA on April 24 with a plan for a consumer recall of the products in question. We had been asked by the agency not to communicate until a plan was reviewed. We apologize to our consumers and retail partners that we were unable to communicate this issue to them sooner."

Consumers can distinguish Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed with Weed Preventer All Purpose Plant Food by its bright yellow jug with green circular cap. All other Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed products are packed in dark green jugs with yellow or other colored caps for specific plant food applications.

No other ScottsMiracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed products are affected by this recall.

EPA and its state partner Ohio Department of Agriculture are conducting laboratory analysis of the unregistered pesticides. Updated information about Scott's recall effort will be posted online as it becomes available at: http://www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/ptb/news/.

An EPA consumer hot-line to answer questions about the Scotts recall effort has been established at 888-838-1304 It is open from 9 am to 4:30 pm CDT.

Questions also may be answered by the National Pesticide Information Center at 800-858-7378. This line is open from 6:30 am to 4:30 pm, PDT, including weekends.

Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, all pesticides must be submitted to the EPA for review, evaluation and registration to ensure they do not pose an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment.

The EPA's review and registration process is internationally recognized, and the agency says pesticide products that have not undergone an EPA review may pose unwanted risks to human health and the environment.

"EPA will fully investigate this violation and take appropriate actions," said Gade. "We are committed to keeping the public informed about any health consequences and providing information to assure the safe recall of these products as soon as possible."

With more than $2.9 billion in worldwide sales and more than 6,000 associates, Scotts is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2008. All rights reserved.