Judge raises concerns about EPA approval of bee-harming chemical

摘要

A federal judge appeared skeptical of claims in court yesterday that U.S. EPA had accurately assessed a pesticide's risk to bees when it approved the chemical. A three-judge panel for the 9th U.S. District Court of Appeals in San Francisco heard oral arguments in Pollinator Stewardship Council v. U.S. EPA. The Pollinator Stewardship Council, the American Honey Producers Association, the National Honey Bee Advisory Board, the American Beekeeping Federation and individual beekeepers are challenging EPA's risk assessment process in its decision to approve the pesticide sulfoxaflor, saying the agency did not adequately weigh the harm to honeybees and other pollinators. The plaintiffs are represented by the environmental law organization Earthjustice.