Scotts Miracle-Gro Ordered To Pay $12.5 Million For Federal Pesticide Violations

Marysville-based Scotts Miracle-Gro was ordered on Friday to pay a $12.5 million fine and perform community service for violations of federal pesticide laws.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the company illegally applied insecticides that are toxic to birds to its wild bird food products. The company admitted to falsifying pesticide registration documents, distributing pesticides with misleading and unapproved labels and distributing unregistered pesticides.

In a separate civil agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Scotts agreed to pay more than $6 million in penalties and spend $2 million on environmental products under a settlement about additional pesticide violations.

In addition to the fines, the company plans to contribute $500,000 to organizations that protect bird habitats, including Ohio’s Audubon’s Important Bird Area Program, the Columbus Metro Parks Bird Habitat Enhancement Program and the Nature Conservancy of Ohio.

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