Home Depot, Wal-Mart and several other retailers must stop selling mislabeled pesticides from Scotts Miracle-Gro, regulators said Friday.
The Environmental Protection Agency told nine companies — including Ace, K-Mart and Lowe's — to remove Scotts' weed preventer and related pesticiedes from their shelves.
The EPA said on Wednesday the products carried invalid registration numbers. Federal law says all pesticides must be submitted to the federal government so risks to people or the environment can be evaluated.
Marysville, Ohio-based Scotts said the problem was caused by a former employee who did not follow product registration rules. The company has recalled its "Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed All Purpose Plant Food plus Weed Preventer," as well as "Bonus S Max" and "Turf Builder Plus 2 Max."
The products represent less than 1 percent of the company's more than $2.9 billion in annual worldwide sales, according to Scotts.
Shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro fell 11 cents Friday to $33.18 in midday trading.
