In Europe we had a strong reaction to the mass honeybee poisonings from planter dust in 2008:

The EU directive for mitigating risk arising from the emission of dusts according to COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2010/21/EU of 12 March 2010 amending Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC as regards the specific provisions relating to clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and fipronil laid down the following recommendations: 1. the seed coating shall only be performed in professional seed treatment facilities. Those facilities must apply the best available techniques in order to ensure that the release of dust during application to the seed, storage, and transport can be minimised, 2. adequate seed drilling equipment shall be used to ensure a high degree of incorporation in soil, minimisation of spillage and minimisation of dust emission, 3. the label of the treated seed includes the indication that the seeds were treated with the specific active and sets out the risk mitigation measures provided for in the authorisation, 4. the conditions of the
 authorisation, including, where appropriate, risk mitigation measures to protect honeybees

As a result a dust containment system (usually putting dust directly on the soil surface) for insecticide-treated seed is mandatory:

http://www.kuhn.co.uk/com_en/whats-new-precision-seeding-order-concerning-the-use-of-seeds-treated-with-insecticide.html

... and Bayer paid out $2.5m to affected beekeepers.  In the States you now seem to have a voluntary stewardship scheme which says:

c. Planter Equipment
i Direct planter exhaust downward towards the soil surface, where possible

http://seed-treatment-guide.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Guide-to-Seed-Treatment-Stewardship.pdf

Where possible?!  There is clearly a risk of planter dust doing serious damage to pollinators.  I don't see why it is acceptable to have standards in the US below the European ones. 

Gavin


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