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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week issued an order banning the sale of a disinfectant that the Trump administration has granted emergency clearance to fight COVID-19.
The agency said in a press release Thursday that its investigators have determined that Allied BioScience, the maker of the disinfectant, is marketing, selling and distributing it in “ways inconsistent” with the law, regulations and terms and conditions. emergency authorizations.
The agency also said it was revoking an emergency exemption for the chemical, known as SurfaceWise2, in Arkansas and Texas due to “the corporate misconduct described above and concerns scientists concerning the performance of the product “.
“Pesticides can cause serious harm to human health and the environment, which is why the EPA requires their registration before they are distributed for use,” said Larry Starfield, acting chief of the enforcement office. of the agency’s law, in a press release. “The EPA is committed to holding companies accountable for their failure to comply with federal environmental laws.
SurfaceWise2 was originally approved for use in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, including on certain American Airlines aircraft, in airport facilities, and orthopedic facilities.
Trump administration touted approval of SurfaceWise 2, with then EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler
Andrew WheelerOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Haaland reportedly recommended full restoration of monuments modified by Trump | EPA to reinstate air pollution panel dissolved under Trump | State appeals court upholds approval of Minnesota EPA pipeline to reinstate air pollution panel disbanded under Trump Overnight Energy: EPA must reconsider Trump’s decision not to tighten standards soot | Interior proposes withdrawal of Trump rule that would allow drillers to pay less | EPA rescinds Trump guidelines it says weakened ‘chemicals forever’ regulations MORE in November with a demonstration of its use in Texas.
“The EPA had to adapt to the coronavirus outbreak by creating a new authorization process that could allow innovative new products to be tested quickly and effectively and found to be safe to use,” Wheeler said in a communicated at the time. “This long-lasting disinfectant is a great innovation and could help the aviation industry in the months to come.”
Allied BioScience CEO Michael Ruley said in a statement to The Hill that the company is “in full compliance” with the EPA order.
“We intend to rectify and resolve this issue as soon as possible. We continue to work closely with the EPA to confirm the protection provided by SurfaceWise2,” said Ruley. “We are continuing to work with the EPA on our full Section 3 for national approval.”
People are usually infected with the coronavirus after contact with respiratory droplets, and the risk of contracting it from contact with surfaces is considered low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a statement provided to The Hill, a spokesperson for American Airlines said the company has stopped using the product and “will continue to follow all EPA and federal government guidelines on this matter.”
Update: 5:32 p.m.
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