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Date:         Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:41:24 -0500
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From:         Laurel Hopwood <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: New research should nail the coffin lid shut on a toxic bee-killing pesticide
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Please forward this press release!!

http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2012-01-10.asp

Press Release
January 10, 2012

New research should nail the coffin lid shut on a toxic bee-killing pesticide
Entire food chain found to be contaminated, from soil to pollen to dead bees

Contact Laurel Hopwood, 216-371-9779 (EST)
Tom Theobald 303-652-2266  (MST)
Neil Carman, PhD. 512-288-5772 / cell 512-663-9594 (CST)

The Sierra Club, with over 1.3 million members and supporters, calls 
on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to immediately 
suspend the registration of the insecticide clothianidin, based on 
new scientific evidence of extensive contamination in bees and soil.

Last week (January 3, 2012) scientists at Purdue University 
documented major adverse impacts from clothianidin, used as a seed 
treatment in corn, on honey bee health.  The results showed 
clothianidin present in foraging areas long after treated seed has 
been planted. 

The study raises questions about the long term survival of this major 
pollinator.

"This research should nail the coffin lid shut on clothianidin", says 
Laurel Hopwood, Sierra Club's Chairwoman of the Genetic Engineering 
Action Team. "Despite numerous attempts by the beekeeping industry 
and conservation organizations to persuade the EPA to ban 
clothianidin, the EPA has failed to protect the food supply for the 
American people."

Tom Theobald, a founding member of the Boulder County Beekeeper's 
Association explains, "In 2010, I got hold of an EPA document 
revealing that the agency has been allowing the widespread use of 
this bee-toxic pesticide, against evidence that it's highly toxic to 
bees. Clothianidin has failed to meet the requirements for 
registration. It's continued use is in violation of the law."

Upon learning of the EPA's failures, the National Honey Bee Advisory 
Board, the American Beekeeping Federation  and The American Honey 
Producer's Association urged the agency in a 12/8/2010 letter to 
cancel the registration of this pesticide. Yet despite the fact that 
clothianidin had failed a critical life cycle study which was 
required for registration, the agency responded in a 2/18/2011 letter 
stating "At this time, we are not aware of any data that reasonably 
demonstrates that bee colonies are subject to elevated losses due to 
chronic exposure to this pesticide. EPA does not intend at this time 
to initiate suspension or cancellation actions against the registered 
uses of clothianidin. If scientific information shows a particular 
pesticide is posing unreasonable risk to pollinators, we stand ready 
to take the necessary regulatory action."

Neil Carman, PhD, scientific advisor to Sierra Club, is troubled by 
EPA's complacency. "A huge shoe has dropped. U.S. researchers have 
documented major adverse impacts from clothianidin seed treatments in 
corn on honey bee health." Carman further explains "Because of the 
vital role played by honey bees in crop pollination, honey bee demise 
threatens the production of crops that produce one-third of American 
diets, including nearly 100 fruits and vegetables. The value of crops 
pollinated by bees exceeds $15 billion in the U.S. alone."

Hopwood exclaims, "The time is now for EPA to quit dodging the 
illusion of oversight and instead, cancel this bee- killing 
pesticide.  If we travel too far down our current path, we could 
create conditions in our food system much like those that brought 
down the financial system."

XXX

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<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
<html><head><style type="text/css"><!--
blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { padding-top: 0 ; padding-bottom: 0 }
 --></style><title>New research should nail the coffin lid shut on a
toxic be</title></head><body>
<div>Please forward this press release!!</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2012-01-10.asp</div
>
<div><br></div>
<div><font face="Times">Press Release</font></div>
<div><font face="Times">January 10, 2012</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Times">New research should nail the coffin lid shut
on a toxic bee-killing pesticide</font><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
</font><font face="Times">Entire food chain found to be contaminated,
from soil to pollen to dead bees</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana"><br>
</font><font face="Times">Contact Laurel Hopwood, 216-371-9779
(EST)</font></div>
<div><font face="Times">Tom Theobald 303-652-2266&nbsp;
(MST)</font><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
</font><font face="Times">Neil Carman, PhD. 512-288-5772 / cell
512-663-9594 (CST)</font><font face="Verdana"><br>
</font><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
</font><font face="Times">The Sierra Club, with over 1.3 million
members and supporters, calls on the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) to immediately suspend the registration of the
insecticide clothianidin, based on new scientific evidence of
extensive contamination in bees and soil.</font><font
face="Lucida Grande"><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Times">Last week (January 3, 2012) scientists at
Purdue University documented major adverse impacts from clothianidin,
used as a seed treatment in corn, on honey bee health.&nbsp; The
results showed clothianidin present in foraging areas long after
treated seed has been planted.&nbsp;</font><font
face="Lucida Grande"><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Times">The study raises questions about the long
term survival of this major pollinator.</font><font
face="Lucida Grande"><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Times">&quot;This research should nail the coffin
lid shut on clothianidin&quot;, says Laurel Hopwood, Sierra Club's
Chairwoman of the Genetic Engineering Action Team. &quot;Despite
numerous attempts by the beekeeping industry and conservation
organizations to persuade the EPA to ban clothianidin, the EPA has
failed to protect the food supply for the American
people.&quot;</font><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Times">Tom Theobald, a founding member of the
Boulder County Beekeeper's Association explains, &quot;In 2010, I got
hold of an EPA document revealing that the agency has been allowing
the widespread use of this bee-toxic pesticide, against evidence that
it's highly toxic to bees. Clothianidin has failed to meet the
requirements for registration. It's continued use is in violation of
the law.&quot;</font><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Times">Upon learning of the EPA's failures, the
National Honey Bee Advisory Board, the American Beekeeping Federation&nbsp;
and The American Honey Producer's Association urged the agency in a
12/8/2010 letter to cancel the registration of this pesticide. Yet
despite the fact that clothianidin had failed a critical life cycle
study which was required&nbsp;for registration, the agency responded
in a 2/18/2011 letter stating &quot;At this time, we are not aware of
any data that reasonably demonstrates that bee colonies are subject to
elevated losses due to chronic exposure to this pesticide. EPA does
not intend at this time to initiate suspension or cancellation actions
against the registered uses of clothianidin. If scientific information
shows a particular pesticide is posing unreasonable risk to
pollinators, we stand ready to take the necessary regulatory
action.&quot;</font><font face="Lucida Grande"><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Times">Neil Carman, PhD, scientific advisor to
Sierra Club, is troubled by EPA's complacency. &quot;A huge shoe has
dropped. U.S. researchers have documented major adverse impacts from
clothianidin seed treatments in corn on honey bee health.&quot; Carman
further explains &quot;Because of the vital role played by honey bees
in crop pollination, honey bee demise threatens the production of
crops that produce one-third of American diets, including nearly 100
fruits and vegetables. The value of crops pollinated by bees exceeds
$15 billion in the U.S. alone.&quot;</font><font
face="Lucida Grande"><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Times">Hopwood exclaims, &quot;The time is now for
EPA to quit dodging the illusion of oversight and instead, cancel this
bee- killing pesticide.&nbsp; If we travel too far down our current
path, we could create conditions in our food system much like those
that brought down the financial system.&quot;</font><br>
</div>
<div><font face="Times">XXX</font></div>
<div><br></div>
</body>
</html>
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