UPDATE ON BAYER’S “MOVENTO” AND BEES. ILLEGAL TO SELL IN THE U.S. WHAT IS STATUS IN CANADA?
On Dec 30, 2009 we circulated the U.S. story “Big Win for Bees: Judge Pulls Pesticide”.
I then sent an email to the Canadian Government to find out the status of Bayer’s chemical “Movento” (spirotetramat) in Canada. The following is the email thread. Scroll down to the responses from the Government.
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SENT: Wed 30/12/2009 10:57 AM
TO:
Karen Dodds, head of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA, Health Canada)
(NOTE: Karen Dodds is now moved up the chain into “Policy”)
Connie Moase, toxicologist at the PMRA
CC: Carole Swan, head of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA, Agriculture Canada)
Louise Duke, also from the CFIA
Dear Ladies,
Please advise: what is the status of the pesticide spirotetramat (manufactured by Bayer CropScience under the trade names Movento and Ultor) in Canada?
In case you are not aware of the December court ruling in the U.S. which invalidates the registration of the EPA’s approval of the pesticide spirotetramat (Bayer, trade name Movento) I am drawing it to your attention. See the appended press release.
As of January 15th it is illegal to sell spirotetramat in the U.S.
Is it legal to sell Movento and Ultor in Canada? If so, what are your plans regarding this chemical, in light of the situation in the U.S.?
Thank-you for your considered response.
Sincerely,
Sandra Finley (contact info)
APPENDED
the nastiest chemical known to bees, at least up until “Movento,” the neonicitanoid family, continues to be used with abandon, in North America
Regards, Larry
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Josh Mogerman at 312-651-7909
Big Win for Bees: Judge Pulls Pesticide
Bee toxic Movento pulled from market for proper evaluation
NEW YORK (December 29, 2009) – A pesticide that could be dangerously toxic to America’s honey bees must be pulled from store shelves as a result of a suit filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Xerces Society. In an order issued last week, a federal court in New York invalidated EPA’s approval of the pesticide spirotetramat (manufactured by Bayer CropScience under the trade names Movento and Ultor) and ordered the agency to reevaluate the chemical in compliance with the law. The court’s order goes into effect on January 15, 2010, and makes future sales of Movento illegal in the United States .
“This sends EPA and Bayer back to the drawing board to reconsider the potential harm to bees caused by this new pesticide,” said NRDC Senior Attorney Aaron Colangelo. “EPA admitted to approving the pesticide illegally, but argued that its violations of the law should have no consequences. The Court disagreed and ordered the pesticide to be taken off the market until it has been properly evaluated. Bayer should not be permitted to run what amounts to an uncontrolled experiment on bees across the country without full consideration of the consequences.”
In June 2008, EPA approved Movento for nationwide use on hundreds of different crops, including apples, pears, peaches, oranges, tomatoes, grapes, strawberries, almonds, and spinach. The approval process went forward without the advance notice and opportunity for public comment that is required by federal law and EPA’s own regulations. In addition, EPA failed to evaluate fully the potential damage to the nation’s already beleaguered bee populations or conduct the required analysis of the pesticide’s economic, environmental, and social costs.
Beekeepers and scientists have expressed concern over Movento’s potential impact on beneficial insects such as honey bees. The pesticide impairs the insect’s ability to reproduce. EPA’s review of Bayer’s scientific studies found that trace residues of Movento brought back to the hive by adult bees could cause “significant mortality” and “massive perturbation” to young honeybees (larvae).
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), bees pollinate $15 billion worth of crops grown in America . USDA also claims that one out of every three mouthfuls of food in the typical American diet has a connection to bee pollination. Yet bee colonies in the United States have seen significant declines in recent years due to a combination of stressors, almost certainly including insecticide exposure.
“This case underscores the need for us to re-examine how we evaluate the impact of pesticides and other chemicals in the environment,” said Colangelo. “In approving Movento, EPA identified but ignored potentially serious harms to bees and other pollinators. We are in the midst of a pollinator crisis, with more than a third of our colonies disappearing in recent years. Given how important these creatures are to our food supply, we simply cannot look past these sorts of problems.”
The court decision is available at http://docs.nrdc.org/wildlife/wil_09122901.asp
More information on threats to honey bees at www.BeeSafe.org
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The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.3 million members and online activists, served from offices in New York , Washington , Chicago , Los Angeles , San Francisco and Beijing .
______________________________
Josh Mogerman
Senior Media Associate
Natural Resources Defense Council
Midwest Program
312-651-7909 – o | 773-531-5359 – m
(Please note that my phone numbers have changed.)
—–Original Message—–
From: Marion Law [mailto:Marion.Law AT hc-sc.gc.ca]
Sent: January 11, 2010 11:51 AM
To: sabest1 AT sasktel.net
Cc: Maude Louis-Seize; denise_shields AT hc-sc.gc.ca
Subject: Status of Movento in Canada
Dear Sandra Finley,
Please accept my apologises for the delay in responding to your request of December 30, 2009, for information on the status of Movento in Canada.
Movento is currently registed for use in Canada as an insecticide.
The submission was a global joint review that involved Austria , the US and Canada working together on data studies and information submitted to support the registration of this product. The review determined that the pesticide did not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment and included, as a standard part of the review and based on the information provided, an assessment of the potential impact of this product on pollinators such as honey bees. As a registration requirement, the PMRA, called for clear label statements for Movento to ensure the protection of human health and the environment, this included use restrictions to help mitigate any potential effects on pollinators.
Prior to the the registration, the PMRA solicited public comment on the decision to register. No comments were received as a result of this consultation process.
The PMRA is aware of the recent court ruling in the US involving Movento and is monitoring the situation closely.
I hope this information is useful and if I can be of further help, please do not hesitate to contact me by email or at the telephone number below.
Regards,
Marion Law
____________________________
Marion Law
Chief Registrar/ Chef de l’homologation
Registration Directorate/Direction gnrale d’homologation
PMRA/ARLA
Health Canada, Sant Canada
tel.: 613-736-3704
fax: 613-736-3707
—– Original Message —–
From: Sandra Finley [sabest1 AT sasktel.net]
Sent: 2010-02-05 05:36 PM CST
To: Marion Law
Subject: RE: Status of Movento in Canada
Thank-you Marion.
I am wondering whether there is a typo?
A “global joint review that involved Austria , the US and Canada”.
Should Austria be “Australia”??
And I am wondering whether a “global” joint review” should read a “3-nation joint review”?
Thank-you for your clarification.
Best wishes, Sandra Finley
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SENT: Feb 06, 2010
Ms. Finley – This is to confirm that Austria is the correct partner in the global review. Also as Austria was the rapporteur state for the EU this is considered to be global review.
Hope this helps clarify.