ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis pesticide dealer is facing nearly $150,000 in civil penalties for selling unmarked bags of rat poison to people, an Environmental Protection Agency complaint said.
The complaint, sent by the agency on Thursday, accused Timothy Wilson of Wilson's Pest Control of selling the poison in unmarked zip-top bags on his store's shelf in St. Louis and Overland.
EPA officials reportedly discovered the unlabeled bags on Wilson's St. Louis store shelf in June of 2022. Agents issued a stop-sale order prohibiting further sale of the pesticide and invited the company to negotiate a civil penalty for the violations.
A year later, the EPA received additional reports that Wilson's store in Overland was selling the unmarked rat poison. EPA agents attempted to inspect Wilson's business and determine the company's compliance with the previously issued stop-sale order, but Wilson reportedly refused.
Rodenticide poison products sold to consumers are required to have extensive labeling that describes directions for use, safety precautions and how to seek medical attention for children and pets if the poison is unintentionally ingested, the EPS said. Illegally repackaged pesticides are considered "unregistered" under federal law.
Both locations of Wilson's Pest Control, in Overland and St. Louis City, were identified by the EPA as "potentially sensitive areas with exposure to many sources of pollution," the agency said in a press release.
"EPA is strengthening enforcement in overburdened communities to address disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of pollution on vulnerable populations."
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