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  • From: Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Ignoring Bee Crisis, EPA Greenlights New 'Highly Toxic' Pesticide | Common Dreams
  • Date: Sun, 12 May 2013 22:54:38 -0400

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/05/09-3

Published on Thursday, May 9, 2013 by Common
Dreams<http://www.commondreams.org>
Ignoring Bee Crisis, EPA Greenlights New 'Highly Toxic' Pesticide
Green group: 'The EPA continues to put industry interests first to
exacerbate an already dire pollinator crisis.'
- Lauren McCauley, staff writer

Despite new findings
<http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/05/07-8>that prove a
heightened crisis in US bee populations and a recent ban in
Europe on similar chemical applications, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has decided
<http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/cb/csb_page/updates/2013/sulfoxaflor-decision.html>to
further endanger the population Monday by approving a "highly toxic" new
pesticide.


The "EPA continues to put industry interests first to exacerbate an already
dire pollinator crisis,"
writes<http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=10479>the
group Beyond
Pesticides. <http://www.beyondpesticides.org>

The agency granted sulfoxaflor, a
product<http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/07/dow-agrosciences-receives-us-epa-registration-for-/>of
the Dow Chemical Company, "unconditional registration" for use on
vegetables, fruits, barley, canola, ornamentals, soybeans and wheat among
others, despite the EPA's own classification of the insecticide as "highly
toxic to honey bees."

According<http://washingtonexaminer.com/first-bees-now-birds-seen-dying-from-epa-approved-pesticides/article/2526045>to
the
*Washington Examiner,* the EPA's studies on the chemical's long-term effect
on bees proved to be "inconclusive due to some issues with the study
designs" and thus the EPA has proposed simply reducing the amount applied.

As part of their decision, the EPA approved new language for the
sulfoxaflor labels which reads, "Do not apply this product at any time
between 3 days prior to bloom and until after petal fall," during
heightened pollinator activity.

Further, they approved an additional 'advisory pollinator statement':

Notifying known beekeepers within 1 mile of the treatment area 48 hours
before the product is applied will allow them to take additional steps to
protect their bees. Also limiting application to times when managed bees
and native pollinators are least active, e.g., before 7 am or after 7pm
local time or when temperature is below 55oF at the site of application,
will minimize risk to bees.

Though the EPA believes this advisory to be “robust” enough to protect
pollinators, environmental advocacy groups such as Beyond Pesticides
believe such statements "not only underscore the risks to bees" but prove
to be unrealistic since systemic pesticides, including sulfoxaflor,
"continue to exist in the plant (including pollen and nectar) for longer
periods of time that well surpasses the recommended application intervals,
and therefore expose bees to residues longer than suggested."

And, in addition to harming bees, sulfoxaflor has been known to cause
tumors and carcinomas in mice and rats and has been classified as
"suggestive evidence of carcinogenic potential."

Dismissing these concerns, the EPA alternately points to the "need for
sulfoxaflor by industry and agriculture groups to control insects no longer
being controlled by increasingly ineffective pesticide technologies,"
proving the ongoing and harmful nature of unsustainable techniques such as
pesticide sprays.

Following Europe's announcement last
week<https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/04/29-3>that they
would suspend the use of bee-harming neonicotinoids in an effort
to combat the rampant colony collapse crisis, many hoped the US would
announce similar reforms.

However, following this week's announcement, groups
say<http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=10479>it is clear
the EPA will continue pursue an "irresponsible" and
"counter-intuitive" agenda in regards to bee health and the environment.



  • [permaculture] Ignoring Bee Crisis, EPA Greenlights New 'Highly Toxic' Pesticide | Common Dreams, Lawrence London, 05/12/2013

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