Interesting that what appears to be a simple case of an applicator
error - accidentally spraying 55 asphalt parking lot Linden
trees when they were in bloom - leads the Xerces Society and a
University of Minnesota professor to "call on local officials to
ban the cosmetic use of insecticides on city- and county-owned lands"
http://www.xerces.org/2013/06/27/scientists-call-for-an-end-to-cosmetic-insecticide-use-after-the-largest-bumble-bee-poisoning-on-record/

Justification? "The cost of losing pollinators far outweighs any
value of controlling aphids on ornamental plants,” said Mace Vaughan,
Pollinator Conservation Director at the Xerces Society...

But the neonic in question has a multi-year track record of bee
safety in another city in the region according to this L.A. Times article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-oregon-pesticides-restricted-20130626,0,3014501.story

Likewise, Valent USA, the manufacturer of the neonic does not think
the 6 month ban is necessary and justified given the information 
available:

http://www.valent.com/newsroom/newsreleasesbyyear/2013/valent-issues-statement-on-oregon-bee-incident.cfm

Excerpt: We do not believe the scope of these measures is necessary
with the information available, and we will work to get the restrictions
lifted as soon as possible.

Paul Cherubini
El Dorado, Calif. 

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