Santa Barbara County Joins Statewide Civil Case Against “Dry Fog” Pesticide Manufacturer

District Attorney John T. Savrnoch announced [this week], along with 10 other prosecutors’ offices in California, the resolution of a civil case against Pure Maintenance Holdings LLC, Pure Products LLC, Michael Adams, and Brandon Michael Adams for pesticide violations and unfair business practices. 

Michael Adams is the founder and chief operating officer of Pure Maintenance and was a manager of Pure Products. His son, Brandon Michael Adams, is the chief executive officer of Pure Maintenance. Pure  Maintenance licenses the use of its “Dry Fog” machines and sells pesticides, including those labeled as InstaPure and EverPure, to its licensees for use in the machines. 

Both Adamses appeared in advertising for Pure Maintenance and Pure Products. They made statements  about their products that were false and illegal. They claimed their products were approved by the U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, when in fact they were not.

The statements included that InstaPure was EPA-approved to kill all bacteria and viruses, and they promoted fogging with InstaPure during COVID. They also falsely claimed that EverPure was  verified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for effectiveness in sterilization.

They advertised Dry  Fog as safe, green, natural, and non-toxic, yet the pesticides sold and used in the Dry Fog machines required  “WARNING” or “DANGER” on the label because they are toxic. They also sold both unregistered and  registered pesticides without having the required pesticide broker license or paying the required tax. 

The stipulated judgment requires the defendants to pay $425,000 in penalties and costs, of which $50,000 in penalties will go to the District Attorney’s Office for the enforcement of consumer protection laws and  $50,000 as cost reimbursement. The judgment also requires them to hire a compliance manager and put into place practices and protocols to ensure all advertising claims and instructions are consistent with the labelling required for the pesticides used, recommended, or sold for its services. 

District Attorney Savrnoch expresses appreciation for the dedication of Senior Deputy District Attorney  Christopher Dalbey and District Attorney Investigator Robert Parmelee in handling this case. He emphasized  that the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office played a vital role, bringing exceptional expertise to  the effort.

Savrnoch underscored the importance of strict adherence to pesticide regulations to protect those  who sell, use, and purchase these products. He also highlighted that consumers have the right to accurate  information, enabling them to make well-informed decisions about their hard-earned money.