When attempting to describe corruption and favoritism in the world of college basketball, UNLV hall of fame coach Jerry Tarkanian (below right) once famously quipped “The NCAA is so mad at Kentucky they're going to give Cleveland State another year of probation” proving it is possible to ensnare non-target organisms with weapons other than insecticides.
Back in 2013, when a landscape company sprayed a clump of linden trees at an Oregon shopping center with an insecticide to control aphids and instead eliminated some 50,000 bumble bees, you knew it was only a matter of time before the PR nightmare associated with this non-target kill eventually trickled down to golf.
It has taken six years, but that day finally is here.
Neonicotinoid pesticides have been suspected as a cause in the decline of bee populations for more than a decade and have been in the crosshairs of environmental groups ever since 2013 when the unnamed landscape company ignored label directions and sprayed dozens of linden trees, which are a favorite of pollen-seeking bees. On May 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency canceled the registrations of a dozen neonicotinoid pesticides, and environmental groups say they will not rest until all insecticides in that class are off the market.
All 12 of the products canceled by the EPA include the active ingredients clothianidin or thiamethoxam either alone or in combination with other active ingredients. The list includes three granular formulations, one product used to manage pests in flowers and shrubs and several found in seed coatings in the agriculture industry.
So, what does this registration cancellation mean to manufacturers, distributors and end users?
Persons other than the registrants may sell, distribute or use existing stocks of products until existing stocks are exhausted.
First, dozens of neonicotinoids available for use, including imidacloprid and the formulation of clothianidin used in the Oregon incident. According to the EPA, manufacturers may sell and distribute existing stock for one year after the registration cancellation, which is May 20, 2020. “Persons other than the registrants (i.e., distributors and end users) may sell, distribute or use existing stocks of products until existing stocks are exhausted, provided that such sale, distribution, or use is consistent with the terms of the previously approved labeling on, or that accompanied, the canceled products”, according to the EPA. In other words, use it if you have it.
The original letter to cancel the registrations of these products was announced March 25, and was followed by a 30-day public comment period.
The decision to phase out these chemistries is the result of a long, drawn out legal battle that began in 2013 when a lawsuit was brought against the EPA for approving registrations of dozens of neonicotinoid pesticides from 2007-2012. A California judge in 2017 ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, saying the approval violated the Endangered Species Act.
It also is only the beginning. The review process for all neonicotinoids has begun and environmental groups are determined to get all of these chemistries off the market as they come up for reregistration and progress through the public participation process. The only feedback received by the EPA during the public comment period for the 12 products recently affected included one that hinted that the agency’s process of registering synthetic chemicals is broken and another that simply read “good”. Those interested in retaining access to other products in this class that are still available might want to consider exercising their right to do so and speaking out on the benefits of following label instructions.