UWC Reaches Settlement with EPA

jda

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TLDR: have to stop production and pay $226k fine.

Understand that criminal personal charges are still pending at both a state and federal level.

EDIT: for those of you who read the whole thing, EPA included Purge, which had no chemicals, but was a really bad product claiming to eliminate AEFW pests. This settlement seems to strongly suggest that the EPA expects any product that claims to kill, prevent, etc. aquarium pests to be registered. This means no more black boxes for these sorts of products if the aquarists are willing to hold manufacturers accountable and report those who do not comply. ...so no more complaining about manufacturers lying or not telling you what are in products, or at least pest products.
 
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Garf

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Too bad they didn't just tell the truth about what it was and follow the EPA laws. The stuff did work.
Wasn't it more than double the cost of algaefix though? Selling an algaecide as a harmless bacteria with a hunger for algae is fraud, is it not. Next up, people selling bottle bacteria that contain pathogenic microbes.
 

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TLDR: have to stop production and pay $226k fine.

Understand that criminal personal charges are still pending at both a state and federal.
Good news.

I wonder if we will see some other products withdrawn because of this penalty.
 
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jda

jda

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Added this to original post:

EDIT: for those of you who read the whole thing, EPA included Purge, which had no chemicals, but was a really bad product claiming to eliminate AEFW pests. This settlement seems to strongly suggest that the EPA expects any product that claims to kill, prevent, etc. aquarium pests to be registered. This means no more black boxes for these sorts of products if the aquarists are willing to hold manufacturers accountable and report those who do not comply. ...so no more complaining about manufacturers lying or not telling you what are in products, or at least pest products.

Get with your loved and hated aquarium supplement manufactures and make sure that they are compliant before they get into a lot of trouble too.

Does it get more clean than this:
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, products that claim to kill, destroy, prevent, or repel pests, including the sort found in an aquarium, are considered pesticides and must register with EPA to ensure they perform as intended and are appropriately labeled before distribution or sale.
 

Cichlid Dad

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TLDR: have to stop production and pay $226k fine.

Understand that criminal personal charges are still pending at both a state and federal level.

EDIT: for those of you who read the whole thing, EPA included Purge, which had no chemicals, but was a really bad product claiming to eliminate AEFW pests. This settlement seems to strongly suggest that the EPA expects any product that claims to kill, prevent, etc. aquarium pests to be registered. This means no more black boxes for these sorts of products if the aquarists are willing to hold manufacturers accountable and report those who do not comply. ...so no more complaining about manufacturers lying or not telling you what are in products, or at least pest products.
what-bugs.gif


It was all true!

daffy-duck-cartoon.gif
 

BeanAnimal

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I think that the unwanted side effect is going mean fewer, or no more products, as EPA efficacy testing and compliance will be very costly to get, track and maintain. One also has to wonder what other cans (plural) of worms this stuff opens.

So may take is a bit different, it only takes a few dishonest knuckleheads to push the envelope far enough to ruin everyone’s day.
 

spsick

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Man, $225k seems like a massive fine for a small little company like that. It is what it is but I’d guess they wouldn’t fine more than they know they can get from them.
 

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I think that the unwanted side effect is going mean fewer, or no more products, as EPA efficacy testing and compliance will be very costly to get, track and maintain. One also has to wonder what other cans (plural) of worms this stuff opens.

So may take is a bit different, it only takes a few dishonest knuckleheads to push the envelope far enough to ruin everyone’s day.
Couldn’t agree more.

Though I will say that it’s a shame that the pharmaceutical companies aren’t held to the same standard.
 

14 foot reef

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TLDR: have to stop production and pay $226k fine.

Understand that criminal personal charges are still pending at both a state and federal level.

EDIT: for those of you who read the whole thing, EPA included Purge, which had no chemicals, but was a really bad product claiming to eliminate AEFW pests. This settlement seems to strongly suggest that the EPA expects any product that claims to kill, prevent, etc. aquarium pests to be registered. This means no more black boxes for these sorts of products if the aquarists are willing to hold manufacturers accountable and report those who do not comply. ...so no more complaining about manufacturers lying or not telling you what are in products, or at least pest products.
Bravo @jda

Thank you for sharing
 

JayM

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TLDR: have to stop production and pay $226k fine.

Understand that criminal personal charges are still pending at both a state and federal level.

EDIT: for those of you who read the whole thing, EPA included Purge, which had no chemicals, but was a really bad product claiming to eliminate AEFW pests. This settlement seems to strongly suggest that the EPA expects any product that claims to kill, prevent, etc. aquarium pests to be registered. This means no more black boxes for these sorts of products if the aquarists are willing to hold manufacturers accountable and report those who do not comply. ...so no more complaining about manufacturers lying or not telling you what are in products, or at least pest products.
I don’t see any details. Were they fined because the products don’t do what they say, or because they didn’t register them?
 

BristleWormHater

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Couldn’t agree more.

Though I will say that it’s a shame that the pharmaceutical companies aren’t held to the same standard.
JayM was never heard from again rumor has it certain 3-letter agency took him.
 
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jda

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So may take is a bit different, it only takes a few dishonest knuckleheads to push the envelope far enough to ruin everyone’s day.

Weed those knuckleheads out and everybody benefits. Like you said, it only takes a few. I imagine that there are no shortage of still-bitter old-timers chomping at the bit to make the call to Boyd with this news?
 
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