Attorney General G. Oliver Koppell Halts Misleading Safety Claims in Pesticide Ads Attorney General G. Oliver Koppell has announced that his office has reached agreements with DowElanco and the Ortho Consumer Products Division of the Chevron Chemical Company requiring the two national pesticide manufacturers to stop making false and misleading claims about the safety of their pesticide products. Both companies manufacture, distribute and sell pesticide products for the home, lawn and garden use throughout the United States. The agreements will apply to all product advertising appearing in New York State. These claims are false and misleading.
Pesticides are toxic, potentially dangerous substances.
Despite what you have been told in advertisements, they should be used with extreme caution. The public should know that there are alternatives to the use of chemical pesticides that can be effectively control pest and weed problems in a wide variety of situations. These agreements should not only inform the public that past advertising claims were false and misleading, but also increase awareness of the dangers of pesticide use. Chemlawn Services Corp., Orkin Exterminating Company, Lesco and Farmland Industries previously agreed to halt false and misleading advertising of their pesticide services or products. Investigations of other companies are ongoing.