Amazon, EPA reach agreement on illegal pesticide settlement

Seattle-based Amazon has agreed to pay more than $1.2 million in administrative penalties as part of an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to a Seattle Times report. The EPA said this agreement will protect consumers from hazards of illegal and misbranded pesticides sold by Amazon.

There were allegations that Amazon committed nearly 4,000 violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act over the past five years by allowing third-parties to sell and distribute imported pesticide products from Amazon warehouses even though the pesticides were not licensed to be sold in the U.S., the Seattle Times reported. EPA said this agreement will help to settle these allegations.

Under terms of the agreement, Amazon said it plans to develop an online training course about pesticide regulations and policies to reduce the number of illegal pesticides available through the online marketplace, the Seattle Times reported.

The EPA has more details on the settlement here. For the full story from the Seattle Times, click here.