Terminix fined $10 mn over illegal use of methyl bromide

The US pest control company Terminix has agreed to pay $10 million for illegally using fumigant, methyl bromide, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, federal officials said.
 

The plea deal comes more than a year after a family of four vacationing in the U.S. Virgin Islands fell seriously ill when the unit below them was fumigated.
 

"Terminix companies knowingly failed to properly manage their pest control operations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, allowing pesticides containing methyl bromide to be applied illegally and exposing a family of four to profoundly debilitating injuries," U.S. Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden said in a statement.
 

Terminix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
 

The plea agreement, which must be approved by a district court judge, includes $8 million in criminal fines, $1 million in restitution and a $1 million community service project for Terminix International Company and its U.S. Virgin Islands operation, the U.S. Justice Department said.
 

Exposure to methyl bromide can result in serious health effects, including central nervous system and respiratory system damage, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
 

The chemical is a restricted-use pesticide that the EPA has considered "highly toxic" for more than two decades. The agency banned the indoor use of methyl bromide products in 1984.