HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a legally binding stop sale order to Honolulu-based Hiro Systems Hawaii LLC to prevent the illegal distribution and sale of misbranded and unregistered pesticide products, including disinfectants and sanitizers.
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA ordered Hiro to immediately stop the sale, use, or removal of the pesticides HIRO Proprietary Blend Raw TEG, HOCL Hypo-Chlorus Acid Eco-Friendly Sanitization Solution by Hiro, HIROCL Hypochlorus Acid Sanitization Solution, Clean Republic Disinfectant + Sanitizer, and Side-Kik HOCL Generator products. These products were sold at the Hiro store at the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu.
“It’s crucial that residents of Hawaii – and all Americans – can trust that the disinfectants they buy are safe and effective,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “EPA’s stop sale orders are critical to protecting all of us from misleading and harmful claims made by local vendors. Our agency remains vigilant and will continue to remove these illegal disinfectants from circulation.”
Hiro has sold the unregistered and misbranded pesticides and devices to businesses and the public. Additionally, Hiro made false and misleading claims on their website and social media accounts about the misbranded and unregistered products’ intended uses, effectiveness, and toxicity.
Under the federal FIFRA law, products that claim to kill, destroy, prevent, or repel bacteria or viruses are considered pesticides. All such products distributed or sold in the United States are required to be registered by EPA to ensure they perform as intended and will not harm people, other species, or the environment when used as directed. Consumers who rely on ineffective products to disinfect may face an increased risk of exposure to bacteria or viruses.
Learn more about the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
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