A Newark pest control company was fined $860,000 today by the stateDepartment of Environmental Protection for misapplication of hazardous pesticides in dozens of homes -- some in Hudson County -- to control bed bugs, Commissioner Bob Martin said.
The DEP is also seeking to permanently revoke the TVF Pest Control's pesticide business license and the revocation of individual licenses for the company's pesticide applicator Javier Godoy and company owner Josimar Ferreira, the DEP said in a news release.
The DEP also has charged TVF $10,625 for the cost of DEP chemical sampling in this matter, and levied a $10,000 penalty against TVF corporate officer Marta Braga for an applicator licensing violation.
"This is an issue of public health and welfare,'' Martin said. "Bed bug infestation is a growing problem in New Jersey and across the nation. The DEP is sending a strong and clear message in this case that when companies put residents at risk by intentionally misusing pesticides in dealing with bed bugs they will be dealt with severely.''
TVF Pest Control used chemicals not appropriate for indoor use in at least 50 residences and apartments, mostly in Essex, Hudson and Union counties, between January and June 2010 in spraying for bed bugs, the DEP said.
That investigation found that Malathion and Carbaryl were sprayed inside homes and apartments. In addition, TVF falsified documents to omit a record of their use of these pesticides for bedbug control.
Neither Malathion nor Carbaryl are approved for indoor use. Symptoms of exposure to these pesticides, which are readily absorbed through the skin, can include headaches, nausea and dizziness, muscle twitching and vomiting.
The DEP said it began investigating TVF last June when Massachusetts officials told them TVF was the subject of a federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) probe there regarding indoor use of pesticides to combat bed bugs.
It was learned that residences in Newark, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Harrison, Kearny, Perth Amboy, Linden, South River and Avenel were improperly treated by TVF, DEP officials said.
TVF and its pesticide applicators may continue to operate pending the outcome of an administrative hearing, provided a request for a hearing is filed with DEP within 35 days.
"We want pest control companies and individuals to address the bed bug problem in a safe, responsible manner,'' Martin said. "They should use only registered pesticides and employing smart, approved housekeeping practices and non-pesticide techniques to control the troubling insects.''
State residents have the right to obtain notification information from companies to identify chemicals used to control pests in their residences, said Wolf Skacel, DEP Assistant Commissioner for Compliance and Enforcement.
"The DEP urges residents to arm themselves with information about pesticides used in their homes,'' said Skacel. "Also, we are cautioning that pesticides can only be used in strict accordance with the product label. Persistent bedbug problems sometimes prompt companies or desperate residents to use substances that can create hazardous situations, leading to potential health problems that are far more serious than bedbug bites."
TVF was ordered by the DEP to cease using the chemicals indoors and also to clean the homes it improperly treated. TVF cleaned up 40 of the 50 residences, Skacel said.
The public is advised to contact local or state health officials or the DEP if TVF has applied a liquid spray to control bed bugs in your residence prior to July 2010, and no one has contacted you about proper cleaning.
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