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From:
Peter L Borst <[log in to unmask]>
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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 16 Oct 2010 18:26:52 -0400
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Perhaps you recall that the NRDC sued the EPA to try to stop the distribution of Spirotetramat.

This is from their web site:

> Thanks to strong work from NRDC’s litigation team, there will be one less thing stressing bees : spirotetramat. After rounds of legal wrangling in federal court, the bee-toxic pesticide may no longer be sold or distributed because it entered the marketplace illegally. Known as Movento, Ultor, and Kontos, Bayer CropScience’s new pesticide is now illegal to buy, sell, or transport in the United States after NRDC and Xerces Society successfully argued that it was approved through a flawed registration process.

> Bayer has asserted that spirotetramat is a “greener” pesticide and safe for beneficial insects. However the suit partly in response to concerns from beekeepers that systemic insecticides – like spirotetramat – cause delayed or chronic harmful effects on bee broods, and that Bayer did not conduct sufficient studies to determine spirotetramat’s impacts on bees.  Now, we are not asserting that this chemical has anything to do with CCD, but there are lingering concerns that it is incredibly damaging to bees.

* * *

Shortly thereafter, EPA allowed the continuing sale of the product, stating that it was safe:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 5 that existing stocks of spirotetramat, the active ingredient in Movento, Ultor and Kontos insecticides, may continue to be distributed and used within the normal channels of trade.

EPA acknowledged that the registrations had been cancelled "because of judicial action related to a procedural failure on the part of the Agency," and not because of any risk concerns associated with the product. Based on its review of hundreds of scientific studies, and after considering public comments submitted concerning existing stocks, EPA reconfirmed its conclusion that there are "no significant risk concerns associated with spirotetramat." In fact, EPA concluded that "spirotetramat has a more favorable risk profile in terms of human health and the environment than the registered alternatives."

Furthermore, EPA rejected recent suggestions by the Natural Resources Defense Council that spirotetramat use might pose a threat to honey bees, finding such claims unsupported by scientific data. The Agency’s favorable assessment of spirotetramat was based on numerous studies of its safety to honey bees and other important pollinators. 

EPA noted that nearly 90% of the public comments received in response to the Agency’s solicitation of public input requested the continued use and distribution of existing stocks of spirotetramat. Such comments included the need for spirotetramat as a "reduced risk" pesticide and as an important tool in integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Many growers noted that spirotetramat is vital in their struggle against invasive species and is more selective and less injurious to beneficial insects than alternative insecticides.

"We are pleased that EPA’s decision has reaffirmed our assessment of spirotetramat as an important IPM tool in the fight against destructive pests" said Kevin Adam, Product Manager for Bayer CropScience. "We will continue to work with the Agency and remain hopeful that the full registrations will be reinstated in the near future."

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