"Lawn product company Scotts Miracle-Gro Co will pay $12.5 million in criminal fines and civil penalties for illegally including insecticides in bird food products and for other violations, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday."
"The company pleaded guilty in February to charges that it violated the federal law governing the use of pesticides.
The sentence imposed in federal court in Columbus, Ohio, includes a $4 million criminal fine, the Justice Department said. Separately, the company agreed to pay more than $6 million in civil penalties to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and spend $2 million on environmental projects.
The two penalties are the largest in the history of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, the Justice Department said. The law has existed since 1947."
David Ingram reports for Reuters September 7, 2012.
