What’s Lurking at Your Local 99-Cent Store?

Just when you thought you were saving money, harmful chemicals took the gain straight out of your bargain.

One California company is facing a financial nightmare after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unearthed 166 violations surrounding several of its household items. The AP reports that 99 Cents Only Stores Inc. has been fined more than $400,000 for purportedly selling products containing pesticides that were not registered by the EPA.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the company did not return the wire service’s phone call. But its alleged environmental behavior has already made history. According to the AP report, no retailer has ever faced as large an EPA-levied fine for violating the nation’s federal pesticide regulations.