Originally published July 7 2014
Failure of the EPA marked by honey bee decline
by PF Louis
(NaturalNews) There have been suspicions about pesticides causing colony collapse disorder (CCD) where suddenly many bees die or disappear from their hives and never return. In particular, many scientists have been suspecting a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids.
After several large scale bee keeper and organic farmer protests and petitions in France, Italy, Germany, and Slovenia, their governments banned or heavily restricted neonicotinoids a few years ago. Surprise, the greatly diminished bee populations immediately rebounded. Consequently, after conducting its own study, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) banned three neonicotinoids (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam).
The ban went into effect December 1, 2013 for a period of two years for further study and would only be repealed after sufficient scientific data is accumulated to provide sufficient evidence that those pesticides are safe for bees. Evidently, the EU countries' bee colony surge after restricting or eliminating neonicotinoids is not proof enough.
But it's more likely that sufficient pesticide industry influence and pressure got the two-year period installed so they could find ways to get around or through the ban - "scientifically". But at least the precautionary principle was applied for now.
That's a principle which the EPA and USDA don't understand or appreciate, both of which are heavily infiltrated by industry insiders and lobbyists via the revolving doors between industry and government.
The managers and executives of these supposed protective agencies call the shots, not scientists with integrity. Sometimes those scientists are threatened for whistle blowing after their efforts at stopping toxic chemical approvals fail.
Disturbing quotes and memos within the EPA
It's ironic that the EU ban on neonicotinoids was announced on the EPA's website with some interesting comments, copied here in italics.
First: Based on currently available data, the EPA's scientific conclusions are similar to those expressed in the EFSA report with regard to the potential for acute effects and uncertainty about chronic risk. That's nice, so maybe the ban is on its way?
Then: The EPA is not currently banning or severely restricting the use of the neonicotinoid pesticides. What? Even though the EPA agrees with EFSA scientific findings and conclusion they remain approved? Even after a recent Harvard study definitely linked imidacloprid, a widely used neonicotinoid, to bee colony collapse disorder? Article on that study here (http://news.harvard.edu).
Now for the obligatory public relations boiler plate "official" response to cover their obvious double speak that the mainstream media swallows whole without questioning and passes on to readers as the way things should be according to corporate America.
The neonicotinoid pesticides are currently being re-evaluated through registration review, the EPA's periodic re-evaluation of registered pesticides to ensure they meet current health and safety standards. The EPA bases its pesticide regulatory decisions on the entire body of scientific literature, including studies submitted by the registrant, journal articles and other sources of peer-reviewed data. (Emphasis added)
Imidacloprid was registered in 1993, but there's still not enough scientific data? Since then, the EPA has even approved expanded use of imidacloprid.
Translation: We have a cozy relationship with our registrants, the pesticide people at Dow Chemical, Monsanto, Syngenta, and Bayer. We take in enough of their people to guide our agency and those of us who influence policies enough to protect their interests are allowed to take lucrative corporate positions after demonstrating our true allegiance to them.
A Natural News article posted on January 5, 2011, "Leaked document: EPA knowingly approved bee-killing pesticide" explained how despite protests from their EPA scientists, the EPA approved Bayer's clothianidin, a neonicotinoid compound in 1993.
What made their approval even more egregious were leaked internal memos that demonstrated EPA officials knew there were serious non-targeted bee safety problems with clothianidin (http://www.naturalnews.com/030921_EPA_pesticides.html).
That chemical is a primary neonicotinoid that some EU nations banned even before the EUFS stepped in. Yes, the EPA and toxic chemical companies have a cozy relationship.
Sources for this article include:
EPA site page disclosing EUFS recent pesticides ban decision http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/intheworks/ccd-european-ban.html
Good explanation of neonicotinoid pesticides http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/imidagen.html
Opinion piece that inspired this article http://thehill.com
Article heralding EU nations' bee colony revival after neonicotinoid bans http://www.guerillahealthreport.com/post.php?id=435
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