Scotts pulling pesticide from shelves under EPA order

[DogPoundPup]

Prompted by a federal investigation and a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency order, Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. is recalling a pesticide product that has been on retailers' shelves for more than a year.

The EPA on Wednesday issued a "stop sale, use or removal" order against the Marysville-based lawn and garden giant for illegal, unregistered and misbranded pesticides. Scotts in a statement issued late Wednesday said the order applies to a pesticide no longer used by its Scotts LawnService subsidiary and its "Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed with Weed Preventer All Purpose Plant Food," which has been on shelves since December 2006.

The products in stores, the company said, come in yellow jugs with a green cap and carry Universal Product Code numbers 073561008365 and 073561048361. Spokeswoman Su Lok said the recall will involve an estimated 1 million units and could cost between $5 million and $10 million. The products pull in about $10 million in annual sales.

Through the recall, the company has posted information on scottsmiraclegro.com and set up a hotline at 1-888-295- 0671. Scotts also is working with retailers to stop the sale of the product.

While the EPA said the risks, if any, posed by the products are unknown, the agency and the Ohio Department of Agriculture are analyzing the pesticides. The EPA and Scotts have advised consumers not to use them or dispose of them down a drain or in the garbage, and instead, store them in a safe place.

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/04/21/daily23.html

[Owl]

1. Your "road trip" picture is intriguing. Where's that from?