{"id":18183,"date":"2016-06-03T00:00:36","date_gmt":"2016-06-03T04:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=18183"},"modified":"2016-06-03T11:15:04","modified_gmt":"2016-06-03T15:15:04","slug":"public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/","title":{"rendered":"Public Comment Needed on EPA&#8217;s Plans To Allow Bee-Toxic Sulfoxaflor despite Elevated Bee Losses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>(Beyond Pesticides, June 3, 2016)<\/em> Despite recent reports of continuing bee losses across the U.S., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to reevaluate the use of the bee-toxic insecticide sulfoxaflor, and is proposing an amended registration. Sulfoxaflor\u2019s initial 2013 registration was challenged by beekeepers and subsequently vacated by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals due to overwhelming risks to bees and EPA\u2019s inadequate review of the data.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-14399\" src=\"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Susan-Jergans-Elkhorn-WI-These-were-taken-from-our-garden3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Susan Jergans Elkhorn WI These were taken from our garden3\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" align=\"right\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Susan-Jergans-Elkhorn-WI-These-were-taken-from-our-garden3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Susan-Jergans-Elkhorn-WI-These-were-taken-from-our-garden3-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Last September, the \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2015\/09\/federal-court-overturns-epa-approval-of-new-bee-killing-insecticide-sulfoxaflor\/\"><strong>Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unequivocally rejected \u00a0<\/strong><\/a>EPA\u2019s registration of sulfoxaflor. The Court concluded that EPA violated federal law when it approved sulfoxaflor without reliable studies regarding the impact that the insecticide may \u00a0have on honey bee colonies. The Court vacated EPA\u2019s unconditional registration of the chemical, meaning that sulfoxaflor could no longer be used in the U.S. This decision was in response to a <a href=\"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2013\/07\/beekeeping-industry-files-suit-to-stop-new-pesticide-toxic-to-bees\/\">suit filed by beekeepers <\/a>challenging EPA\u2019s initial registration of sulfoxaflor, which cited the insecticide\u2019s threat to bees and beekeeping. The case: \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/earthjustice.org\/sites\/default\/files\/files\/sulfoxaflor-opinion.pdf\"><strong>Pollinator Stewardship Council, American Honey Producers Association, National Honey Bee Advisory Board, American Beekeeping Federation, Thomas Smith, Bret Adee, Jeff Anderson v. U.S. EPA<\/strong><\/a> \u00a0(9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals,\u201d\u00afNo. 13-7234)<\/p>\n<p>According to the court decision, EPA skirted its own regulations when it ignored risk concerns, even with reduced maximum application rates, which EPA has done before, despite prior reprimands from the Court. The judge ruled \u00a0that additional higher Tier (Tier II) bee data was needed to fully assess risks, which EPA did not have. Thus, the court vacated sulfoxaflor\u2019s registration. However, EPA\u2019s new amended registration is for fewer uses and according to EPA, the proposed restrictions reduce the risk to bees below EPA\u2019s level of concern such that no additional data requirements are triggered.<\/p>\n<p>Now, EPA is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/ingredients-used-pesticide-products\/proposed-decision-register-insecticide-sulfoxaflor-reduced-uses\">proposing an amended registration<\/a>, which the agency claims will be \u201cvery protective of pollinators,\u201d to allow the chemical\u2019s use on fewer crops than were allowed under sulfoxaflor\u2019s initial registration. For crops that are attractive to bees, the agency will prohibit sulfoxaflor\u2019s use before and during bloom, when EPA expects that bees will \u00a0not be present. Additional measures are being proposed to reduce spray drift. EPA is also specifically requesting public input on other proposals: a buffer zone requirement for when there is blooming vegetation bordering the treated field; and the prohibition of \u00a0tank mixing sulfoxaflor with other pesticides. EPA has stated that \u00a0these \u00a0restrictions will \u201cpractically eliminate exposure to bees on the field, which reduces the risk to bees below EPA\u2019s level of concern such that no additional data requirements are triggered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite these new proposed restrictions, sulfoxaflor will still be a danger to bees due to its systemic nature \u00a0\u2014an issue EPA continually ignores or underestimates, according to beekeepers and environmental advocates. Sulfoxaflor is similar to that of neonicotinoid pesticides \u2014it acts on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in insects, and like neonicotinoids, it is a \u201csystemic\u201d insecticide, which means that when applied to plants, it is absorbed and distributed throughout the plant, including pollen, and nectar. \u00a0Residues will remain in pollen and nectar, and even contaminated soil and water long after initial application, sometimes for months and years. Bees and other pollinators will continually be exposed, exacerbating the problems faced by an already tenuous honey bee industry and further decimate bee populations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell EPA not to register another bee-toxic chemical.<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regulations.gov\/#!submitComment;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0889-0407\">Comments are being accepted until June 17, 2016.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Honey bees and wild bees have been suffering elevated population declines over the last few years. A recent government-sponsored survey reports that U.S. beekeepers <a href=\"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/05\/a-decade-into-the-pollinator-crisis-unsustainable-bee-losses-continue\/\">lost \u00a044 percent of their honey bee colonies<\/a> between April 2015 and April 2016, one of the highest recorded losses. There is a \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/programs\/bee-protective-pollinators-and-pesticides\/what-the-science-shows\"><strong>growing scientific consensus<\/strong><\/a> \u00a0 that systemic, persistent insecticides like neonicotinoids are a major contributing factor to declines in wild pollinators and honey bee colonies. \u00a0A <a href=\"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/study-finds-honey-bees-frequently-collect-contaminated-pollen-from-non-crop-plants\/\">recently published study<\/a> by researchers at Purdue University \u00a0finds that honey bees collect most of their pollen from non-crop plants that are frequently contaminated with a wide range of pesticides. Numerous pesticides, including sulfoxaflor, neonicotinoids, pyrethroids, and fungicides are highly toxic to honey bees and have a range of effects including impacts on learning behavior, foraging, reproduction and queen production, as well as impairing bee immune systems making them more susceptible to parasites and disease.<\/p>\n<p>In light of the \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=15701\"><strong>shortcomings of federal action<\/strong><\/a>\u201d\u00afto protect these beneficial \u00a0organisms, \u00a0pollinators need pesticide-free habitat \u00a0throughout communities. \u00a0 You can also declare your garden, yard, park or other space as pesticide-free and pollinator friendly. It does not matter how large or small your pledge is, as long as you contribute to the creation of safe pollinator habitat.\u201d\u00af<a href=\"http:\/\/action.beyondpesticides.org\/o\/7106\/p\/salsa\/web\/common\/public\/signup?signup_page_KEY=7574\"><strong>Sign the pledge today<\/strong><\/a>! Need ideas on creating the perfect pollinator habitat? The\u201d\u00af<a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondpesticides.org\/pollinators\/documents\/BEEProtectiveHabitatGuide.pdf\"><strong>Bee Protective Habitat Guide<\/strong><\/a>\u201d\u00afcan tell you which native plants are right for your region. For more information on what you can do, visit our \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondpesticides.org\/pollinators\/protect\/index.php\"><strong>BEE Protective \u00a0<\/strong><\/a>page.<\/p>\n<p><em>All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/pesticides\/epa-seeks-comment-proposal-register-insecticide-sulfoxaflor-reduced-use\">EPA News Release<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(Beyond Pesticides, June 3, 2016) Despite recent reports of continuing bee losses across the U.S., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to reevaluate the use of the bee-toxic insecticide sulfoxaflor, and is proposing an amended registration. Sulfoxaflor\u2019s initial 2013 registration was challenged by beekeepers and subsequently vacated by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals due to overwhelming risks to bees and EPA\u2019s inadequate review of the data. Last September, the \u00a0Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unequivocally rejected \u00a0EPA\u2019s registration of sulfoxaflor. The Court concluded that EPA violated federal law when it approved sulfoxaflor without reliable studies regarding the impact that the insecticide may \u00a0have on honey bee colonies. The Court vacated EPA\u2019s unconditional registration of the chemical, meaning that sulfoxaflor could no longer be used in the U.S. This decision was in response to a suit filed by beekeepers challenging EPA\u2019s initial registration of sulfoxaflor, which cited the insecticide\u2019s threat to bees and beekeeping. The case: \u00a0Pollinator Stewardship Council, American Honey Producers Association, National Honey Bee Advisory Board, American Beekeeping Federation, Thomas Smith, Bret Adee, Jeff Anderson v. U.S. EPA \u00a0(9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals,\u201d\u00afNo. 13-7234) According to the court decision, EPA skirted its own regulations [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[249,21,9,10,93,322,276],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-agriculture","category-chemicals","category-national-politics","category-pesticide-regulation","category-pollinators","category-sulfoxaflor","category-take-action"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Public Comment Needed on EPA&#039;s Plans To Allow Bee-Toxic Sulfoxaflor despite Elevated Bee Losses - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Public Comment Needed on EPA&#039;s Plans To Allow Bee-Toxic Sulfoxaflor despite Elevated Bee Losses - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"(Beyond Pesticides, June 3, 2016) Despite recent reports of continuing bee losses across the U.S., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to reevaluate the use of the bee-toxic insecticide sulfoxaflor, and is proposing an amended registration. Sulfoxaflor\u2019s initial 2013 registration was challenged by beekeepers and subsequently vacated by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals due to overwhelming risks to bees and EPA\u2019s inadequate review of the data. Last September, the \u00a0Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unequivocally rejected \u00a0EPA\u2019s registration of sulfoxaflor. The Court concluded that EPA violated federal law when it approved sulfoxaflor without reliable studies regarding the impact that the insecticide may \u00a0have on honey bee colonies. The Court vacated EPA\u2019s unconditional registration of the chemical, meaning that sulfoxaflor could no longer be used in the U.S. This decision was in response to a suit filed by beekeepers challenging EPA\u2019s initial registration of sulfoxaflor, which cited the insecticide\u2019s threat to bees and beekeeping. The case: \u00a0Pollinator Stewardship Council, American Honey Producers Association, National Honey Bee Advisory Board, American Beekeeping Federation, Thomas Smith, Bret Adee, Jeff Anderson v. U.S. EPA \u00a0(9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals,\u201d\u00afNo. 13-7234) According to the court decision, EPA skirted its own regulations [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/beyondpesticides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/beyondpesticides\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-06-03T04:00:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-06-03T15:15:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Susan-Jergans-Elkhorn-WI-These-were-taken-from-our-garden3-300x225.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Beyond Pesticides\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ByondPesticides\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ByondPesticides\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Beyond Pesticides\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Beyond Pesticides\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/#\/schema\/person\/1b5c0a0981b549cc5b628770073031f4\"},\"headline\":\"Public Comment Needed on EPA&#8217;s Plans To Allow Bee-Toxic Sulfoxaflor despite Elevated Bee Losses\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-06-03T04:00:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-06-03T15:15:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/\"},\"wordCount\":846,\"commentCount\":6,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Susan-Jergans-Elkhorn-WI-These-were-taken-from-our-garden3-300x225.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Agriculture\",\"Chemicals\",\"National Politics\",\"Pesticide Regulation\",\"Pollinators\",\"Sulfoxaflor\",\"Take Action\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/\",\"name\":\"Public Comment Needed on EPA's Plans To Allow Bee-Toxic Sulfoxaflor despite Elevated Bee Losses - 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By forging ties with governments, nonprofits, and people who rely on these natural resources, we reduce the need for unnecessary pesticide use and protect public health and the environment. Beyond Pesticides provides hands-on services to the public and supports local action by: identifying and interpreting hazards; and, designing safe pest management programs. With the information provided by Beyond Pesticides, people may not only be able to make informed choices and adopt practices that protect themselves and their families from unnecessary exposure to pesticides, but they will be able to effect changes on community-wide pest management decisions and policies that govern pesticide use, such as pesticide uses in parks, schools, for community insect control and along roadsides. 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Sulfoxaflor\u2019s initial 2013 registration was challenged by beekeepers and subsequently vacated by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals due to overwhelming risks to bees and EPA\u2019s inadequate review of the data. Last September, the \u00a0Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unequivocally rejected \u00a0EPA\u2019s registration of sulfoxaflor. The Court concluded that EPA violated federal law when it approved sulfoxaflor without reliable studies regarding the impact that the insecticide may \u00a0have on honey bee colonies. The Court vacated EPA\u2019s unconditional registration of the chemical, meaning that sulfoxaflor could no longer be used in the U.S. This decision was in response to a suit filed by beekeepers challenging EPA\u2019s initial registration of sulfoxaflor, which cited the insecticide\u2019s threat to bees and beekeeping. The case: \u00a0Pollinator Stewardship Council, American Honey Producers Association, National Honey Bee Advisory Board, American Beekeeping Federation, Thomas Smith, Bret Adee, Jeff Anderson v. U.S. EPA \u00a0(9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals,\u201d\u00afNo. 13-7234) According to the court decision, EPA skirted its own regulations [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/","og_site_name":"Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/beyondpesticides","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/beyondpesticides\/","article_published_time":"2016-06-03T04:00:36+00:00","article_modified_time":"2016-06-03T15:15:04+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Susan-Jergans-Elkhorn-WI-These-were-taken-from-our-garden3-300x225.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Beyond Pesticides","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ByondPesticides","twitter_site":"@ByondPesticides","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Beyond Pesticides","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/"},"author":{"name":"Beyond Pesticides","@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/#\/schema\/person\/1b5c0a0981b549cc5b628770073031f4"},"headline":"Public Comment Needed on EPA&#8217;s Plans To Allow Bee-Toxic Sulfoxaflor despite Elevated Bee Losses","datePublished":"2016-06-03T04:00:36+00:00","dateModified":"2016-06-03T15:15:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/"},"wordCount":846,"commentCount":6,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Susan-Jergans-Elkhorn-WI-These-were-taken-from-our-garden3-300x225.jpg","articleSection":["Agriculture","Chemicals","National Politics","Pesticide Regulation","Pollinators","Sulfoxaflor","Take Action"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/","url":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2016\/06\/public-comment-needed-on-epas-plans-to-allow-bee-toxic-sulfoxaflor-despite-elevated-bee-losses\/","name":"Public Comment Needed on EPA's Plans To Allow Bee-Toxic Sulfoxaflor despite Elevated Bee Losses - 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