Admittedly, there were abuses of the indemnity program.  Jimmy Carter  put an 
end to the program.
 
However, when it was in place, EPA had a pesticide lab that processed bee  
samples for pesticides at NO CHARGE to beekeepers and researchers.  I made  good 
use of that lab.
 
The indemnity program required data to show that bees had been exposed to  
pesticides, and at toxic levels.
 
The EPA lab was a key component of that program, backing up state  labs.
 
As soon as the indemnity program went away, so did the EPA analysis  lab.
 
The other downside - when there was no longer any place to go to collect  
damages, other than via litigation; many beekeepers adopted a 'nothing can be  
done' attitude.  Those who went to court found it a frustrating, often  
life-changing, costly exercise.  Reporting of bee losses fell off - why  inspect a bee 
kill if the only recourse left to the beekeeper was to sue  someone?
 
It is clear that the pesticide incident reporting system in the U.S.  is 
broken, at all levels from the county to the state to the  federal.  Some states 
don't even have an apiary division/inspector  anymore.
 
I mark the down slide beginning with the end of the indemnity  program.  EPA 
stopped hearing from beekeepers, but the agency began  hearing more and more 
from the wildlife folks, especially people who hunt ducks,  etc.  The 
wildlife/pesticide concerns seem to have grown (people don't like  to eat contaminated 
meat); while the bee issues more or less faded from the  federal priorities.
 
CCD has focused attention on bee losses.  One aspect of that is the  
continued presence of pesticides, and bee losses.  Beekeepers are now  talking 
directly to EPA (which I believe is a good thing) and to Bayer  chemical - and 
hopefully, will soon engage other chemical companies.
 
Jerry
 
 
 
 
Jerry
**************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store?  Make dinner for $10 or 
less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001)

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