Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2012
Pesticide-treated bird seed case
Scotts pleaded guilty after selling bird seed treated with pesticides that were known to pose serious risks to birds and fish. The products were sold from 2005 through 2008, despite internal warnings described in the reference material.
2012
FIFRA violations and environmental settlement
The company was fined and required to perform community service for criminal violations of federal pesticide law. It also agreed to additional penalties and environmental projects in a related settlement.
2007
Genetically modified grass escape
The USDA fined Scotts after DNA from genetically modified creeping bentgrass was detected in related plants and native grasses outside the company's test sites, as far as 21 kilometers away.
2001
United Kingdom peat-bog dispute
Scotts' peat extraction activities in northern England were challenged by conservation bodies and government authorities after peat-bog areas in Yorkshire and Cumbria were considered for protected status. The dispute ended with a reported £17 million government compensation payment for the loss of extraction rights. Scotts faced opposition from conservation groups and government bodies over peat extraction in northern England. Protected-area designations ultimately ended the company's ability to extract peat from the affected sites, with compensation paid by the UK government.