BOSTON (July 9, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement with Ocean State Jobbers, Inc., doing business as Ocean State Job Lot, a corporation based out of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, for alleged violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, also known as FIFRA. Under the settlement, the corporation has agreed to pay a penalty of $53,500 to resolve alleged violations of FIFRA involving the import, distribution and sale of misbranded bug zapper pesticide devices that were imported through Ports of Entry in Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts.
“The consumer deserves accuracy and demands accountability when it comes to products they purchase.” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “This settlement serves as a reminder that thoroughness is required, and not merely a suggestion, and that anyone importing pesticide devices into the U.S. needs to follow the proper ground rules to do so legally.”
EPA alleged that Ocean State Job Lot imported, distributed or sold the misbranded bug zapper devices between February 2020 and April 2023. Bug zappers are regulated as “devices” under FIFRA because they are instruments that use physical mechanisms (in this case, electricity) to trap, destroy, repel, or mitigate a pest. The bug zappers were misbranded due to the lack of an EPA Establishment Number on the product labels. The EPA Establishment Number is a unique number assigned to the facility where the pesticide devices were produced. Ocean State Job Lot also failed to file the required Notices of Arrival for imports of the bug zappers during this period.
About the company
Ocean State Job Lot is a regional corporation headquartered in Rhode Island that operates a chain of discount retail stores, across New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The company sells a variety of products including household goods, apparel, pet supplies, seasonal items, and more. The corporation employs approximately 5,600 associates, with annual sales exceeding $800 million.
More information
EPA Importing and Exporting Pesticides and Devices: https://www.epa.gov/compliance/importing-and-exporting-pesticides-and-devices
Pesticide Devices: A Guide for Consumers: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/pesticide-devices-guide-consumers