VEG
Queen Bee
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2008
- Messages
- 6,830
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Maesteg South Wales
- Hive Type
- national
- Number of Hives
- 15+-some
A JUDGE in the US has pulled the
plug on a chemical insecticide after
protests from environmental groups
about its possible effects of honey
bees.
Spirotetramat, sold under various names
including Movento, was approved for use in
the US in 2008, but in December District
Court Judge Denise Cote ordered the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
withdraw its approval for the chemical, which
inhibits cell reproduction in insects.
The ruling means the insecticide will be
illegal in the US from January 15, and has
been welcomed by several campaign groups
concerned about pesticide links to Colony
Collapse Disorder.
“This decision pulls a potentially dangerous
insecticide from the market so that it can be
evaluated. There are lower-risk alternatives
on the market,” said Aaron Colangelo, an
attorney for the New York-based Natural
Resources Defense Council, which sued the
EPA along with the Xerces Society, a wildlife
conservation group from Portland, Oregon.
Both Bayer CropScience and the EPA have
60 days to appeal the decision, but the EPA
said it was merely “reviewing the situation”.
Bayer was quick to point out, however,
that the decision was based on procedural
irregularites at the EPA, rather than on the
performance of the product itself, which
spokesman Jack Boyne said was “excellent”
in regard to bee safety. The chemical is
cleared for use in several nations, including
much of Europe, Australia and Canada.
Last week the company held urgent talks
with the British Beekeepersʼ Association to
discuss spirotetramat ahead of Bayerʼs
intended announcement this week of the
launch of products containing the chemical on
the UK market in May.
A BBKA spokesman said they were
satisfied that spirotetramat posed minimal risk
to bees.
Indeed, the toxicity of spirotetramat to
honey bees is said to be so low that products
containing the active substance will not be
required to carry any kind of labelling or
restrictions concerning honey bees.
“The court case had nothing to do with the
properties of the compound”, the spokseman
told BeeMail. “Basically the judge ruled that
there had been no public comment carried out
due to a procedural mistake by the US EPA in
carrying out the authorisation process.”
The EPA approved spirotetramat in 2008 for
use on hundreds of crops, including apples,
pears, peaches, oranges, tomatoes, grapes,
strawberries, almonds and spinach.
Judge Cote criticised the agency for not
properly publicising its review of the product
or seeking comments about its award of a
licence for use.
“The EPA utterly failed to comply with these
procedural requirements and has offered no
explanation whatsoever for these shortcomings,”
Cote wrote.
Mr Colangelo added: “The EPA admitted to
approving the pesticide illegally, but argued
that its violations of the law should have no
consequences.”
This was taken from bee mail
plug on a chemical insecticide after
protests from environmental groups
about its possible effects of honey
bees.
Spirotetramat, sold under various names
including Movento, was approved for use in
the US in 2008, but in December District
Court Judge Denise Cote ordered the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
withdraw its approval for the chemical, which
inhibits cell reproduction in insects.
The ruling means the insecticide will be
illegal in the US from January 15, and has
been welcomed by several campaign groups
concerned about pesticide links to Colony
Collapse Disorder.
“This decision pulls a potentially dangerous
insecticide from the market so that it can be
evaluated. There are lower-risk alternatives
on the market,” said Aaron Colangelo, an
attorney for the New York-based Natural
Resources Defense Council, which sued the
EPA along with the Xerces Society, a wildlife
conservation group from Portland, Oregon.
Both Bayer CropScience and the EPA have
60 days to appeal the decision, but the EPA
said it was merely “reviewing the situation”.
Bayer was quick to point out, however,
that the decision was based on procedural
irregularites at the EPA, rather than on the
performance of the product itself, which
spokesman Jack Boyne said was “excellent”
in regard to bee safety. The chemical is
cleared for use in several nations, including
much of Europe, Australia and Canada.
Last week the company held urgent talks
with the British Beekeepersʼ Association to
discuss spirotetramat ahead of Bayerʼs
intended announcement this week of the
launch of products containing the chemical on
the UK market in May.
A BBKA spokesman said they were
satisfied that spirotetramat posed minimal risk
to bees.
Indeed, the toxicity of spirotetramat to
honey bees is said to be so low that products
containing the active substance will not be
required to carry any kind of labelling or
restrictions concerning honey bees.
“The court case had nothing to do with the
properties of the compound”, the spokseman
told BeeMail. “Basically the judge ruled that
there had been no public comment carried out
due to a procedural mistake by the US EPA in
carrying out the authorisation process.”
The EPA approved spirotetramat in 2008 for
use on hundreds of crops, including apples,
pears, peaches, oranges, tomatoes, grapes,
strawberries, almonds and spinach.
Judge Cote criticised the agency for not
properly publicising its review of the product
or seeking comments about its award of a
licence for use.
“The EPA utterly failed to comply with these
procedural requirements and has offered no
explanation whatsoever for these shortcomings,”
Cote wrote.
Mr Colangelo added: “The EPA admitted to
approving the pesticide illegally, but argued
that its violations of the law should have no
consequences.”
This was taken from bee mail