WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Environmental Protection Agency has issued an order to Amazon to stop selling illegal pesticides.
The EPA’s order covers some 70 potentially dangerous or ineffective unregistered pesticides and pesticide devices making illegal and misleading claims, including multiple products that claimed to protect against viruses.
This is the third pesticide stop-sale order issued by the agency to Amazon in the last three years; last summer, the EPA ordered over 30 illegal products removed.
EPA has mounted other efforts to stop fraudulent products, such as partnering with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to stop multiple imports of millions of illegal disinfectant products imported by or for sale on Amazon.
EPA has also provided guidance to e-commerce companies on multiple occasions about their requirements to ensure their disinfectant products are legal and safe.
The agency advises consumers who have purchased an unregistered pesticide product or a misbranded pesticidal device to safely dispose of it in accordance with local, state, and federal laws.
This is especially important for consumers seeking to protect against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
EPA recommends that consumers only purchase products on EPA’s “List N of Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19).”
EPA expects all products on this list to kill the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) when used according to the label directions.