EPA Sued for Bee Coverup
Posted by Jeremy at 8/28/2008 11:56 AM 
Categories: US Agriculture, Gov't and Corporate Deception, Environment Miscellaneous
Categories: US Agriculture, Gov't and Corporate Deception, Environment Miscellaneous
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has issued the following press release (after my rant below) regarding the "Colony Collapse Disorder" that has been killing off bees at the rate of 30-90 percent per hive.<Begin Rant>
Why is it that consumer agencies continually have to sue the government before any action can be taken on issues like this? Why are government agencies given so many liberties and allowed to hide the truth from the public?
Perhaps it's because our government serves the almighty dollar and King Corporation first and foremost, and the American public second. Why is it that we so often hear that countries all over the world have taken action to protect citizens from dangerous chemicals and food additives, as well as food processing practices, yet the United States lags behind in taking similar action?
I do not like to talk politics and I really don't even like to vote. My personal political belief is that as long as we have a two-party system, we need a change in representation every 4 to 8 years. If the Democrats had power for too long, national security would suffer, taxes would be too high, and the poor would become dependent on government support. If the Republicans have power for too long, corporations and the ultra-rich would be given too much power, special interest groups would dictate all policy, lower and middle class citizens will suffer financially, and the country would be forever in debt.
I've been pleased with the swinging political pendulum for the last 20 years or so, but this year I am concerned. I actually registered to vote for the first time since 1990 because I fear the pendulum might not be swinging back the way it needs to. I do not believe America can afford the Republicans' coddling of corporations and special interest groups for another 4 to 8 years. We need to be on the forefront of investigations of dangerous chemicals and environmental threats, instead of spending taxpayer dollars to cover up corporate oversight and corruption.
<End Rant>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) |
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EPA Buzz Kill:
Is the Agency Hiding Colony Collapse Disorder Information? NRDC Forced to Sue to Get Public Records on Bee Mystery |
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WASHINGTON - August 18 - The Natural Resources Defense Council filed a
lawsuit today to uncover critical information that the US government is
withholding about the risks posed by pesticides to honey bees. NRDC
legal experts and a leading bee researcher are convinced that the US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evidence of connections
between pesticides and the mysterious honey bee die-offs reported
across the country. The phenomenon has come to be called “colony
collapse disorder,” or CCD, and it is already proving to have
disastrous consequences for American agriculture and the $15 billion
worth of crops pollinated by bees every year. EPA has failed to respond to NRDC’s Freedom of Information Act request for agency records concerning the toxicity of pesticides to bees, forcing the legal action. “Recently approved pesticides have been implicated in massive bee die-offs and are the focus of increasing scientific scrutiny,” said NRDC Senior Attorney Aaron Colangelo. “EPA should be evaluating the risks to bees before approving new pesticides, but now refuses to tell the public what it knows. Pesticide restrictions might be at the heart of the solution to this growing crisis, so why hide the information they should be using to make those decisions?” In 2003, EPA granted a registration to a new pesticide manufactured by Bayer CropScience under the condition that Bayer submit studies about its product’s impact on bees. EPA has refused to disclose the results of these studies, or if the studies have even been submitted. The pesticide in question, clothianidin, recently was banned in Germany due to concerns about its impact on bees. A similar insecticide was banned in France for the same reason a couple of years before. In the United States, these chemicals still are in use despite a growing consensus among bee specialists that pesticides, including clothianidin and its chemical cousins, may contribute to CCD. In the past two years, some American beekeepers have reported unexplained losses of 30-90% of the bees in their hives. 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. As the die-offs worsen, Americans will see their food costs increase. Despite bees’ critical role for farmers, consumers, and the environment, the federal government has been slow to address the die-off since the alarm bells started in 2006. In recent Congressional hearings, USDA was unable to account for the $20 million that Congress has allocated to the department for fighting CCD in the last two years. “This is a real mystery right now,” said Dr. Gabriela Chavarria, director of NRDC’s Science Center. “EPA needs to help shed some light so that researchers can get to work on this problem. This isn’t just an issue for farmers -- this is an issue that concerns us all. Just try to imagine a pizza without the contribution of bees! No tomatoes. No cheese. No peppers. If you eat apples, cucumbers, broccoli, onions, squash, carrots, avocados, or cherries, you need to be concerned.” Chavarria has spent more than 20 years studying bees, and has published a number of academic papers on the taxonomy, behavior and distribution of native bees. NRDC filed the lawsuit today in federal court in Washington DC. In documents to be filed next month, NRDC will ask for a court order directing EPA to disclose its information about pesticides and bee toxicity. More information on CCD can be found at NRDC’s www.BeeSafe.org web site. 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 1.2 million members and online activists, served from offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing. | |
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