EPA Sued Over Clothianidin Non-Disclosure
9 September 2008 Amid concerns surrounding the quality of the clothianidin studies and its design standards, NRDC scientists sought them out for information the studies contain about the neurotoxin’s effects on bees. NRDC hopes to learn what EPA required of Bayer and whether the company’s response meets those requirements; they also want to investigate how EPA evaluated the information when it decided to leave the pesticide on the market.
EPA’s director of pesticide programs, Debra Edwards, expressed “great disappointment” in NRDC’s action and defended the agency’s activities regarding CCD, noting that the agency is taking voluntary measures to deal with the disorder and stating that EPA needs more time to fully respond to the FOIA request.
While exact causes of CCD are unknown, clothianidin is in the neonicotinoid chemical class, which is linked to the collapse of thousands of bee colonies. Neonicotinoids attack insects’ nervous systems, which leads to disorientation, paralysis, and death. Clothianidin is currently suspended in France and Germany because of its connection to CCD. France has also suspended use of other neonicotinoid-class chemicals, such as IMD, since 1999. IMD is Bayer’s top selling pesticide, with 2007 sales of around US $784 million.
A 2003 EPA fact sheet describes clothianidin as potentially toxic to honeybees and other pollinators, while manufacturer Bayer CropScience maintains that the chemical does not pose long-term risks to bees and has suggested that other non-manmade causes are behind CCD.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that one-third of the nation’s food production is dependent on pollination by honeybees.
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