Investigate Midwest (https://investigatemidwest.org/tag/flea-and-tick-collar/)
According to internal communication, EPA staff were also told to not mention in emails the popular Seresto collar, the source of myriad complaints.
The maker of a popular flea and tick collar did not report thousands of adverse incidents to federal authorities as required until after an investigation by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting (Investigate Midwest) and USA TODAY was published.
As early as 2015, the EPA identified that Seresto "ranked #1 by a wide margin" when it came to incident reports of pet death and harm.
More than a decade ago, nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council petitioned the EPA to ban the use of a pesticide called tetrachlorvinphos in pet products like flea and tick collars. The organization cited studies showing that the chemical, a possible carcinogen, had been linked to brain and nerve damage in children.
EPA data has linked Seresto flea and tick collars to about 1,700 pet deaths.
The lawsuit cites reporting from the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting and USA TODAY that showed the EPA has received tens of thousands of reports linking the collar to incidents of injured pets.
A Congressional subcommittee has asked Elanco to voluntarily recall its Seresto flea and tick collars, following a March 2 Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting and USA TODAY story on thousands of incident reports about pet and human harm linked to the use of the collar.