| Media Contacts: Veda Federighi, 916/445-3974 Glenn Brank, 916/445-3970 |
November 16, 2000 (00-29) |
SACRAMENTO -- The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) today announced that Brita Products Co. of Oakland, Calif., has paid $432,456 to settle allegations that the firm failed to pay state fees on water filter sales
This is the second largest settlement in the history of California's pesticide regulatory program.
"A cornerstone of Cal/EPA policy is that environmental laws must be vigorously, consistently and uniformly enforced," said Winston H. Hickox, Secretary, California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA). "When a company fails to pay its fair share, it can price its product lower and that puts other companies that play by the rules at a competitive disadvantage."
DPR is one of six boards and departments within Cal/EPA.
DPR Director Paul E. Helliker added: "Although DPR's principal focus is, and will continue to be, protection of public health and the environment, we want to ensure that enforcement is fair and equitable in every arena that we regulate."
DPR alleged that Brita failed to accurately report and pay mill assessments on its water filter for three years, from 1996 through 1998. The mill assessment, a fee California levies on pesticides, provides approximately 70 percent of the funding for the State's pesticide regulatory program. The fee is currently 1.75 cents on each dollar of sales.
The Brita Products Co. is a principal subsidiary of Clorox Co. of Oakland, Calif., and distributes Brita water filtration products in North and South America.
Although pesticides are usually associated with agriculture, the term applies to a wide variety of chemicals, including such products as insecticides, rodenticides, defoliants, herbicides, and fungicides, as well as water sanitizers, disinfectants and other antimicrobial products like mildew remover.
The Brita filter was first registered as a pesticide with DPR in 1988. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-which licenses pesticides nationally-had deemed the filter a pesticide because it contained silver to protect the device itself from bacteria. In March 2000, U.S. EPA clarified its policy and exempted from registration any article treated with or containing a pesticide designed solely to protect the treated article itself.
As a result, treated articles like water filters, antibacterial pillows, and cutting boards are exempt from registration, provided that the manufacturer does not make claims that the antibacterial protection extends beyond the treated article to other materials. As part of its settlement agreement, Brita withdrew the registration of its water filter product.
DPR's mission is to protect human health and the environment by regulating pesticide sales and use and fostering reduced-risk pest management.
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