Leaked document: EPA knowingly approved bee-killing pesticide

[kas125]

(NaturalNews) A Colorado beekeeper recently obtained a leaked document revealing that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) knows a popular crop pesticide is killing off honey bees, but has allowed its continued approval anyway. Despite opposition from its own scientists, EPA officials first gave the a-okay to Bayer CropScience's toxic pesticide clothianidin in 1993 based on the company's own flawed safety studies. But now it has been revealed that the EPA knew all along about the dangers of clothianidin and decided to just ignore them.

By now, most people know that honeybees are dying off at an incredibly disturbing rate. Colony collapse disorder (CCD), a condition where bees stray from the hive and never find their way back, is nixing millions of nature's pollinators every year. Previous studies have pinpointed various environmental toxins as the primary culprits, including toxic pesticides like clothianidin (http://www.naturalnews.com/028429_c...).

And the leaked document, which was written by the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, explains clearly that "lothianidin's major risk concern is to nontarget insects (honey bees)" and that "cute toxicity studies to honey bees show that clothianidin is highly toxic on both a contact and an oral basis." The letter was in response to a request from Bayer to have clothianidin approval expanded for use on cotton and mustard in addition to its other approved uses.

So if clothianidin poses a significant threat against honey bees, and the EPA has known about this all along, why was it ever approved in the first place? And if Bayer's original safety studies have been shown to be contradictory to actual science, why has the EPA failed to go after Bayer for falsifying safety data? Apparently those who make the final decisions at the EPA have no actual interest in the truth and would rather cater to corporate interests at the expense of public health.


http://www.naturalnews.com/030921_EPA_pesticides.html

[Wilms]

1. Timeline of a Bee Massacre: EPA Still Allowing Hive-Killing Pesticide

snip

The EPA first brought up the link between clothianidin and bees before the pesticide's release in February 2003. The agency originally planned to withhold registration of the pesticide because of concerns about toxicity in bees, going so far as to suggest that the product come with a warning label (PDF): "This compound is toxic to honey bees. The persistance of residues and the expression clothianidin in nectar and pollen suggest the possibility of chronic toxic risk to honey bee larvae and the eventual stability of the hive."

But in April 2003, the EPA decided to give Bayer conditional registration. Bayer could sell the product and seed processors could freely use it, with the proviso that Bayer complete a life cycle study of clothianidin on corn by December 2004. Bayer was granted an extension until May 2005 (and permission to use canola instead of corn in its tests), but didn't complete the study until August 2007. The EPA continued to allow the sale of clothianidin, and once the Bayer study finally came out, it was flawed.

snip

The new study, unearthed by Colorado beekeeper Tom Theobald, invalidates Bayer's previous study, claiming that "after another review of this field study in light of additional information, deficiencies were identified that render the study supplemental. It does not satisfy the guideline 850.3040, and another field study is needed to evaluate the effects of clothianidin on bees through contaminated pollen and nectar." The study also warns that clothiandin is highly toxic to bees on both a contact and oral basis.

And yet, the EPA is continuing to allow the sale of clothiandin, even though the study that the agency based its decision on proved to be invalid. "It's a matter of perspective," says Frazier. "If the core study to judge registration is no longer considered a valid core study, do you allow continued use of something without good scientific data behind it? That's the choice that's been left to be made by the EPA."

http://www.fastcompany.com/1709815/why-has-the-epa-allowed-a-bee-killing-pesticide-to-stay-on-the-market

[CLANG]

20. Two guys had a mutually agreeable pact for making big bucks!

Same as it ever was...

[handmade34]

2. I truly wish I was surprised by this...

[Raine]

3. Me too but I pretty much suspected this all along

what actually is surprising is how often my lowest expectation isn't low enough. :-(

[truedelphi]

4. Yes, same here.

No matter how low our expectations go, they are never low enough.

[kas125]

6. I know, they're always worse than we can even

imagine, and that's pretty damned sad. I don't know how we're going to take our world back from these evil monsters, but somehow, we have to find a way or we're all in big trouble.

[truedelphi]

5. K & R. n/t

[LooseWilly]

7. "The horror..."

[Qutzupalotl]

26. This only affects people who eat food.

[juajen]

8. How can they willingly destroy our ecological inheritance.

It's obvious that nothing is sacred to these corporate tools. God help us!

[eShirl]

9. Because Jesus is coming back soon so it doesn't matter.

wish I was kidding

[thereismore]

11. Jesus said back in 33 CE that he was coming back in that generation. Oh well. nt

[liberation]

27. He's running late it seems.

Jesus also missed his second hard deadline: 1000 AD. Which is why European went on that church building spree, apparently god was gonna only lift people to the heavens if they were congregated in Romanic churches with floorplans which resembled crosses.

Maybe is not a good idea to base one's hopes and expectations on the whims of an invisible friend up in the sky who likes to be fashionably late...

[thereismore]

42. But of course, Jesus was a bit fuzzy on the timeline, being God and all.

Better read Paul, he's got his shit together. Never mind that he never actually met Jesus, not counting the unfortunate heat stroke episode with hallucinations.

[Qutzupalotl]

44. He said the kingdom of heaven was coming.

That's another way of saying enlightenment.

He also said the kingdom of heaven is within you.

[Javaman]

10. Profits over life. nt

[AmBlue]

40. Disturbingly common trend....

When are we going to say enough's enough???

[robinlynne]

17. greed. greed. and more greed.

[defendandprotect]

22. Capitalism is suicidal -- it's based on exploitation of nature and humans ...

and in its destruction of the environment -- and Global Warming -- it will

take us all with them!

[DainBramaged]

12. And we have talked about this on DU for nearly a decade

we saw it coming way before the rest of the country would believe us.

[kenny blankenship]

13. Why? "Business friendly approach to govt. regulation" Beware "Democrats" promising this.

The regulators and lobbyists winked at each other and said it "Would cost more in lost profits than banning clothianidin would provide in benefits." So spray away, Bayer!

[TheKentuckian]

14. The regulatory agencies are captured and work mostly to facilitate corporate interests

[librechik]

16. Ding ding ding! n/t

[truedelphi]

19. This is why and where the libertarian poiint of view begins to make sense...

When the agencies only work to hamper the smaller businesses, while the Bigger Businesses can find a loop hole, or outright pay off the inspectors, why would anyone argue with libertarians?

Do we really need to have the middle class fork over tax money for agencies that do nothing but clone themselves, all the while ignoring what is their original mission of going after the harmful, bigger and more evil Corporate entities?

If Obama had come in with guns blazing and cleaned up the agency mess, we might have seen a rallying cry to restore the agencies to their missions and offer them whatever they needed.

But when from the side lines, a citizen watches each organization have separate off shoots, all worth billions of dollars, and then the originating agency still doesn't have a handle on any of the problems they were created to resolve, how can a thinking person agree to continue to support this?

Someone like me, who has voted for the Democrats in most offices most of the time, can only shake thei8r head and hope that in 2012 we see some faction of the Democratic party members come forward and offer real leadership, that will get rid of the Geithners and the current EPA head, and get us back to where we need to be.

[defendandprotect]

23. Government is like a typewriter ... it despends on who is doing the writing as to what ...

comes out of it --

Our government has been bought by corporations -- and it was done by buying

our elected officials/candidates who happily betrayed democracy and the people!


When they assassinated JFK they also took our "people's" government --

that doesn't make government bad --

but it does make right wing political violence evil --

Our Founders spoke about the dishoenst men among us -- that's why we have a Bill of Rights,

in fact ... "because there are dishonest men among us."

That's why the Founders caution us to "defend and protect against all enemies -- DOMESTIC

and foreign" -- !!

[liberation]

29. Any ethos which negates the basic fact that humans are a social species

does not make any sense... in the same sense that a stopped watch is not the most energy efficient way of telling time just because it may be correct twice a day.

[Grinchie]

38. The only way to fight this is to withdraw from the system and starve the beast.

In my neck of the woods, living as a "Retired" person who is not of retirement age, yet works very hard for themself, seems to get the civil servants stuck in the rat race very upset. The only way we can upset this economic hostage taking is by not working for anyone else but ourselves. Pay yourself first, and leave nothing for the corrupt corporations that want nothing more than control. Money is not a problem for them, as they can cunjure it at will out of thin air, but when people no longer value that money, and choose to live withing their means and immune from external economic warfare, thats when they get really worried.

This austerity talk is most likely being used to "Persuade" the people with a conscious to keep in line "Or Else".

All I have to say, after being out of the system for 8 years is bring it on. Being self sufficient is the most liberating and rewarding endeavor I have ever experienced. It was difficult at first, but now I am convinced I can do anything with my own hands and ingenuity, and if I can't, I'll take the time to learn. That's what freedom is, and most Americans don't remember what it was like to fend for themselves, grow their own food, be responsible for their own health, and live amicably with each other for the greater good.

[glinda]

15. Kick

[Desertrose]

18. Is anyone still surprised?

Can't say I am.

[defendandprotect]

21. EPA has been corrupted by corporate control for decades ....and it's suicidal for us all--!!

[BrklynLiberal]

24. Wish I could be shocked by such revelations......

[CanSocDem]

25. More evidence...

...of the corporate control of the scientific community.


.

[fascisthunter]

28. Ja, alles für unsere Firmenkunden Parasiten.

And libertarians want to market to decide things. Hey assholes, it already does, and it's why everything is a fucking mess.

[MasonJar]

30. Typical, especially the fact they know the dangers and still allow the pesticide.

Can anyone say donations or bribes?

[KT2000]

31. Who got the plum position

at Bayer - or was it checks in the mailbox and cash under the table.

[Divine Discontent]

32. this could clear the way for many to sue, imo. how disgusting agencies of our own govt did this nt

[benld74]

33. Considering the following 2 Facts -

1. Happened under the Bush Administration
2. Europe outlawed the SAME chemical and their bees are FINE

[glinda]

34. Kick

[ZombieHorde]

35. Fuckers. nt

[abelenkpe]

36. This line says it all:

Apparently those who make the final decisions at the EPA have no actual interest in the truth and would rather cater to corporate interests at the expense of public health.



REally, government regulatory system has been bought by corporate powers. It's all about greed.

[WinkyDink]

37. 1993, people. 1993.

Not Bush father OR son this time.

[lunasun]

39. And I thought the FDA was the only US agency that gave Bayer approval to kill.....

yes it is a subdivision of bayer ag
Bayer 's Clothianidin and Monsanto's genetic manipulation of certain food crops ... 2 of the most evil corps world wide
and not just for the bees!!

[earcandle]

41. MIght be because bee venom is the new cancer cure... fuchtards...

[Blue_Tires]

43. The expected result when there is so much pressure to create

"business-friendly" regulatory agencies...