Amazon agrees to pay $2.5M to settle pesticide gross sales lawsuit

Amazon has agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle a lawsuit introduced by the Washington state Attorney General’s Office claiming the corporate allowed industrial-grade pesticides to be bought illegally by way of its on-line market.

The pesticides at challenge had been extremely regulated, and in some circumstances, not obtainable on the market to most of the people. Under state law, sellers should maintain licenses to promote them and document details about the patrons on the time of sale. For essentially the most harmful pesticides, the customer should even be licensed as a pesticide applicator.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has repeatedly investigated pesticide gross sales on Amazon, garnering a $1.2 million settlement in 2018.

Amazon facilitated 1000’s of gross sales involving the high-strength pesticides between 2013 and 2020, when the corporate suspended all restricted pesticide gross sales, attorneys for the state claimed. Amazon failed to tell clients that the agricultural and industrial-use pesticides had been completely different from broadly obtainable merchandise, creating an impression that anybody may purchase and use them, the state contended.

“Amazon is a powerful corporation—but it’s not above the law,” Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson mentioned in a press release.

Some of the pesticides bought on Amazon, if used improperly, could cause neurological injury in people, contaminate groundwater and hurt threatened and endangered species, together with Chinook salmon and orcas. An organization spokesperson famous that no allegations have been product of hurt to clients or the surroundings.

In addition to paying $2.5 million, Amazon is required to acquire a license if it restarts gross sales of these pesticides and to make a number of reforms meant to dam illegal pesticide gross sales. Amazon agreed to let state investigators assessment its data to make sure the settlement phrases are being met.

By e mail, a company spokesperson mentioned Amazon “will continue to partner with the Attorney General’s Office and other relevant agencies to remain in compliance” going ahead. Amazon didn’t admit any wrongdoing.

The settlement reached Monday will likely be reviewed by a King County Superior Court decide in coming days. Washington residents who might have unintentionally bought restricted pesticides ought to contact Amazon.

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