EPA has announced it will halt approvals tor new outdoor uses ot the controversial neonicotinoid class of pesticides until the agency better evaluates the substances' potential risks to bees, while a group of mostly Republican senators is urging EPA to act cautiously and consider other factors affecting bee health before issuing new limits. EPA announced in an April 2 letter to registrants of products containing four commonly used neonicotinoid active ingredients that the agency will no longer approve new products containing the substances until industry submits required data, and agency staff completes new risk assessments designed to protect pollinators. Relevant documents are available on InsideEPA.com. See page 2 for details. (Doc. ID: 180270) Environmentalists have long argued that neonicotinoids' systemic properties - they are taken up into plants' pollen and nectar - pose harm to bees, and have pushed for the agency to restrict their use. Last summer, EPA finalized new guidance to support stronger agency risk assessment of pesticides' risks to pollinators.
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