Scotts to pay big fine for fake pesticides, poison bird feed

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Lawn and garden products company Scotts Miracle-Gro will pay US$12.5 million (S$15.6 million) in fines for poisoning bird feed and violating pesticide laws, officials said on Friday.

Scotts will pay record criminal and civilian penalties for a litany of pesticide violations, including "illegally applying insecticides to its wild bird food products that are toxic to birds", the Justice Department said in a statement.

The company pleaded guilty in February to that violation as well as falsifying pesticide registration documents, distributing pesticides with misleading and unapproved labels and distributing unregistered pesticides.

A Columbus, Ohio, federal court on Friday sentenced Scotts to pay a US$4 million fine and perform community service for 11 criminal violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (Fifra).