By U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

CHICAGO — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has settled with Dow Corning Corp. and Aegis Environmental Management Inc., Midland, Mich., on alleged violations of federal rules on the sale and export of pesticides. A $268,288 penalty has been assessed against the companies as part of the settlement.

According to the EPA order, Dow Corning (the distributor) and Aegis (the registrant) sold and exported the pesticides AEM 5700 Antimicrobial Agent, AEM 5772 Antimicrobial Agent, Dow Corning 5700 Antimicrobial Agent and Dow Corning 5772 Antimicrobial Agent without proper labeling.

An EPA inspector collected labels and shipping records from samples of pesticides packaged, labeled and released for shipment from a Dow Corning facility at 3901 S. Saginaw Road in Midland to Korea, Thailand, Columbia, Peru, Taiwan, Belgium and Japan. The labels were written entirely in English and lacked translation, as required, of certain key pesticide information into the predominant language of the countries receiving the products. Dow Corning has since revised its labeling of international pesticide shipments.

EPA registers all pesticides and pesticide products under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. For more information on pesticides, go to www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/ptb/pest.