A mold removal company plead guilty to environmental crime charges after falsely claiming its products could protect against COVID-19, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced.
PurEnvironment, a Utah-based company, claimed it’s mold remediation products could provide “90+ day protection” against COVID-19.
The Environmental Protection Agency has only approved the pesticide used by the company for inhibiting mold, mildew and other bacteria; it is not approved for use against viruses.
The company was sentenced to a year of probation, ordered to pay a $15,000 fine and to come into compliance with state and federal regulations, according to a press release.
No individuals or businesses are known to have hired PurEnvironment for its services.
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Ferguson said the company has been operating in Washington since 2018 and using the products without properly registering them for use.
PurEnvironment claimed in March 2020 that the services could “completely rid your home and businesses’ surfaces of COVID-19” and protect against the virus for 90 days.
In July 2020, the EPA sent a notice of advisement to the company saying the claims made were likely false and misleading.
KIRO 7 covered the business in April 2020, and featured a local gym in the broadcast. The gym featured in the story has “refused to pay for the illegal services it received,” according to a press release.
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