|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Press Release - November 23, 1999 -- Missoula, Montana |
| Concerned that a spray intended
to deter bear attacks on humans may not be effective, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency today ordered the Missoula, Montana-based manufacturer
of “Bear Pause” to halt sales immediately.
EPA will also ask distributors to pull the product from their shelves and advises people who bought the spray not to rely on it. Bear Pause is made by ChemArmor of Missoula and carried an EPA registration number (EPA Reg. No.71768-1). At issue is the chemical formula used in the spray. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes hot peppers hot, is an EPA-approved active ingredient in pepper sprays used to deter attacks by dogs and bears. While EPA had approved a purified form of capsaicin in BearPause in March 1999, EPA learned that ChemArmor, without Agency approval, had substituted a much cheaper and untested active ingredient in Bear Pause, vanillyl pelargonamide, “VP” for short. While belonging to the same chemical family (capsaicinoids) and incorrectly called “synthetic capsaicin,” VP is chemically distinct from capsaicin and is not used as the active ingredient in any registered product in the U.S. EPA does not have reliable data on its chemistry, toxicity, ecological effects or effectiveness. “We don’t want people going into bear country with a product on their hip that may not do its job if needed,” said Tim Osag who enforces pesticide law for EPA’s Denver regional office. “ChemArmor could apply to register Bear Pause with VP,” Osag said, “but they would have to provide data about its chemistry, its health and environmental effects, and its effectiveness. They didn’t do that. In their original application, they stated that capsaicin would be the active ingredient. We know capsaicin sprays are effective. We can’t say that about VP.” EPA is charged with oversight of thousands of products in commerce. Makers of “pesticide” chemicals from disinfectants to lawn chemicals to bear sprays must register their products with the Agency. They provide information to EPA about contents, formulas, uses and hazards. It is illegal to submit incorrect information in that process. Osag said the Agency is considering additional enforcement and registration options besides the “stop sales.” “Right now, the most important thing is to get the material off the market and get the word out to back-country users,” Osag said. EPA has not received evidence of similar problems with other bear-deterrents on the market. As part of its normal monitoring work, however, the Agency may test similar products in the future to verify that they contain capsaicin and not VP, Osag said. A list of properly registered bear
deterrents is attached to this news release and is also available on EPA’s
Internet site at http://www.epa.gov/region08/toxics/pests/repelbr.html
or by calling (800) 227-8917 (from CO, MT, ND, SD, UT and WY) or (303)
312-6312 from outside EPA’s Region 8.
|
| Press Release - November 1, 1998 -- Anchorage, AK & Phoenix, AZ |
| After
six years of extensive testing both in the field and laboratories, Guard
Alaska Personal Protection Systems is launching their product line in the
lower 48 states as well as worldwide. This product line was developed by
Randal Prater. Randy has lived in Alaska for 22 years and was acutely aware
of the fact that many so-called bear repellents on the market were at best
ineffective on all species and, at worst, were useless. The first product
developed was Guard Alaska Bear Repellent Spray.
This product has proven so effective that it is the only product certified
by the EPA as a repellent for ALL SPECIES of bear. In a statement
he put out, Prater notes that, "...in pepper spray, the active ingredient
is capsaicin, not oleoresin capsicum(OC). The total capsaicin in a pepper
spray can be thought of in the same manner as the octane rating in gasoline.
It is in reality the qualitative strength rating of pepper spray. " Some
of the pepper sprays on the market today use water as a carrier for the
oleoresin capsicum, Prater states. "...You see, water is the antidote for pepper spray. Can you imagine a product that uses the antidote for the carrier? Some of them use an oil base. That's just as bad, because it can bead up and roll off, especially if the animal or other threat is wet. Still others advertise heat units. What the public doesn't know is that the heat test is merely a taste test. It in no way measures the efficacy of the product. We have done laboratory testing to ensure that our entire product line of personal defense sprays exceed the the standards set by the EPA. And though I will tell you that our carrier is not water or oil based, I won't tell what it is -- That's our trade secret. I will tell you that it breaks down the naturally occurring oils in the skin and mucous membranes and actually opens the pores of the skin, making it the most effective product on the market." The Guard Alaska product line includes the UltraMag Shotgun Series, an invincible 20% ultra hot pepper spray, packaged in a 9-ounce supersize (quick release belt holster for this product also available) and said to be "absolutely the most effective and powerful bear defense spray made." The rest of the Guard Alaska product line are all 10% ultra hot pepper spray and include the Magnum Series of keychain attachable hard plastic case containers which hold replaceable 1/2-ounce to 1 1/2-ounce size spray canisters, either sold alone or with a hard plastic carry case; The Hot Lips Series of 1/2-ounce to 3/4-ounce spray canisters, sold either by themselves or with an attractive soft carry case that can be attached to a keychain or clipped to clothing (available in several attractive colors); and the Night Shift Series, designed for security guards and night watchmen and available in 2-ounce and 4-ounce sizes with case in either spray or spray foam. Guard Alaska products are being used in four states by the US Postal Service, the US Army in Anchorage, Alaska, the US Fish & Wildlife Service in the Alaska National Parks, and by many hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. |