JT Eaton Reaches Plea Bargain In EPA Re-Registration Case
A criminal investigation was launched against JT Eaton and its officers after the misstatements were reported to EPA by a former JT Eaton employee.
Corporate Watch once noted "The Five 'D's" of corporations:
Deny [harm],
Delay [solutions],
Divide [opposition],
Dupe [the public] and then
Dump [the product]
Subject: JT Eaton Reaches Plea Bargain In EPA Re-Registration Case
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 11:48:00 -0400
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
JT Eaton Reaches Plea Bargin In EPA Re-Registration Case 8/23/2001 URL: http://www.pctonline.com/news/news.asp?ID=786/
TWINSBURG, Ohio — JT Eaton & Company Inc., and two of its officers have reached a plea bargain with federal prosecutors in a case concerning false test results submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the re-registration process of two of its products. The outcome of the case was announced Aug. 15 in the U.S. District Court in Cleveland. According to published reports, the company has agreed to pay a $100,000 fine (The company could have received a $500,000 fine.)
The company, President Stanley Z. Baker and Vice President Benjamin H. Baker were charged on July 19 with submitting false test results to EPA for the re-registration of 4-The-Birds Repellent Gel and Squirrel Repellent. The false tests were submitted in April 1998.
Below is the official statement from JT Eaton regarding the case:
JT Eaton & Company, Inc. and two of its officers have reached a plea bargain with federal prosecutors in a case concerning false statements submitted to a government agency during the reregistration process of two of its products.
In 1998, JT Eaton submitted false formula statements to EPA during the reregistration process of 4-The-Birds Repellent Gel and Squirrel Repellent. Though two of JT Eaton’s management team were made aware that false formula statements were being submitted at the time, neither stopped the statements from being submitted to EPA. Therefore, the family management accepts full responsibility for this situation.
A criminal investigation was launched against JT Eaton and its officers after the misstatements were reported to EPA by a former JT Eaton employee. After several months of negotiations, JT Eaton and two of its officers pled guilty to the charge of "false statement made to an agency of the United States" and have agreed to pay a fine as part of the plea bargain.
The plea agreement with the federal government states that throughout the proceedings, 1) the conduct did not present a "risk of death or bodily injury," 2) the government is unaware of any economic harm as a result of the conduct and 3) the conduct did not present a "threat to the environment."
JT Eaton has taken measures to focus on its core products. In February, JT Eaton announced the EPA investigation into manufacturing and formulation practices at the Twinsburg, Ohio plant. JT Eaton voluntarily stopped production of several products in question at that time in order to perform an internal compliance investigation. Since then, JT Eaton has resumed production of most of its rodent control products.
Related article: "Pest firm officials sign plea bargain," The Akron Beacon Journal www.ohio.com/bj/local/docs/007187.htm
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