July 8, 2009



Dear Friends, Customers and Health and Agriculture Department Officials:

Some of our customers have been notified about possible misapplications of pesticide at their facilities.

I am really sorry for the anxiety and confusion this has caused. Our customers have counted on us to properly treat buildings in an effective manner using products within their defined scope. We are working hard to address all questions and to remedy any operational concerns.

We have all been proud to have treated the personal living space of nursing home residents for more than 20 years. We have accomplished this by: applying products suited to meet the unique challenges of long term care facilities; focusing on non-chemical solutions; and, using good old fashioned elbow grease.

The product at the center of this concern is Termidor, a pesticide used for ants, designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a Category IV Very Low Toxicity whose toxicity rating is actually less than table salt in the finished spray solution.

Regarding Termidor Clean up

An Update/Notice by the Alabama Nursing Home Association recommends, the latent residue poses little or no harm and will breakdown over time and can be left in place.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Department of Health preliminarily determined that the presence of this chemical in low concentrations poses minimal risk to human health. These two departments recommend, cleaning can be accomplished using mild detergents and water.

While none of these instances which occurred were spills, there are intense clean up instructions for spills attached. We believe that the more drastic bleach related deactivation is not warranted. Bleach is an EPA rated Category II Moderate Toxicity product. It makes sense to clean using the less threatening means of mild detergents and water whenever possible.

Should you require clean up consultation, please inform me and I will provide a Bio-Tech trained, qualified and licensed professional to assist you at no cost.

Regarding ZP Tracking Powder

According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, another product, ZP Tracking Powder, a rodenticide, was improperly used in a food storage area. The recommended cleaning procedure for ZP Tracking Powder is simply vinegar and water.

In addition to expressing my sincere regret for this situation, I want to provide you with some personal promises as Bio-Tech moves forward:

  • I will personally work closely with all state agencies to ensure our practices and products are utilized in compliance with governing regulations.

  • Our technicians will be part of an in-depth education program to assure there is a complete understanding of how all of our products are to be used, stored, transported and disposed.

  • Each technician will be expected to achieve certification in licensing beyond what is required for his position and to exceed required Continuing Education Units (CEU).

  • We have hired a technical consultant to evaluate our products and procedures with an eye toward ensuring that we are conducting business in a thorough and compliant manner.

  • Finally, at the recommendation of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, we are updating our Service Report Form to help more clearly describe the work performed. As there is no standard IPM (Integrated Pest Management) form for healthcare facilities, we are soliciting feedback from the state departments of health, the departments of agriculture, and pest control industry associations on what is the most helpful information to include on this form.

    • In short, we will be taking aggressive measures to ensure ourselves, our customers and all regulatory agencies that Bio-Tech Systems is a diligent and compliant choice for pest control services.

    This is a humbling experience and nothing is more important to me than regaining your trust. All of us appreciate your patience as we implement these changes and hope you will give us the opportunity to prove the sincerity of these commitments.

    Sincerely,

    Steven A. Murray
    President

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