RISE responds to EPA imidacloprid announcement

As PMP reported Jan. 6, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a preliminary pollinator risk assessment for the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid.

What follows is a Jan. 13 statement from Karen Reardon, VP of Public Affairs for RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) on the topic:

The most important thing for specialty applicators to know about EPA’s Jan. 6 release of its first neonicotinoid risk assessment for pollinators is that it is preliminary. This is the first time the agency and registrants have undertaken this level of risk assessment for pollinators, and there is still a lot of data to be assessed as EPA works to meet the December 2016 deadline for releasing its final risk assessment. EPA’s final assessment will include three other neonicotinoids. While this preliminary assessment may provide insight into areas needing potentially more or less examination, it is not final.

As a stakeholder in the Obama Administration’s National Pollinator Strategy, we remain committed to talking with applicators about product stewardship when using insecticides, including neonicotinoids. Always reading product labels and following all use directions are best management practices we can all perform successfully to protect pollinators. We will be submitting comments.