9 companies can't sell mislabeled pesticides

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Apr 26, 2008 by Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Home Depot, Wal-Mart and several other retailers must stop selling mislabeled pesticides from Scotts Miracle-Gro, regulators said Friday.

The Environmental Protection Agency told nine companies -- including Ace, Kmart and Lowe's -- to remove Scotts' weed preventer and related pesticides from their shelves.

The EPA said on Wednesday the products carried invalid registration numbers. Federal law says all pesticides must be submitted to the federal government so risks to people or the environment can be evaluated.

Scotts, based in Marysville, Ohio, said the problem was caused by a former employee who did not follow product registration rules. The company has recalled its "Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed All Purpose Plant Food plus Weed Preventer," as well as "Bonus S Max" and "Turf Builder Plus 2 Max."