Finally! Health Canada proposes ban on one neonic pesticide

Health Canada Proposes Ban On Neonicotinoid Imidacloprid

by Cory Knutt Pembina Valley

Health Canada has now completed its re-evaluation of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid, which is used in pest control products.

Scott Kirby, director of Environmental Evaluation at Health Canada, revealed the findings on Wednesday.

He said the assessment proposes that current use of imidacloprid is not sustainable, and the levels of this pesticide that are being found in waterways and aquatic environments are harmful to aquatic insects, such as mayflies and midges, which are important food sources for fish, birds and other animals.

There are no risks to human health.

To address the risks identified, Health Canada has also published a proposed risk management plan for public comment, which includes a proposed three-year phase-out of agricultural uses of imidacloprid in order to address risks to aquatic insects.

In some cases, where there are no alternative pest control products available, a longer phase-out transition period of five years is being proposed.

“Today’s announcement follows a detailed science-based evaluation and demonstrates our Government’s commitment to evidence-based decision-making,” said Health Minister Jane Philpott. “Health Canada is taking the findings of the re-evaluation of this pesticide seriously, and is taking action to further protect the environment.”

Health Canada is also launching special reviews for two other widely used neonicotinoids, clothianidin and thiamethoxam.
Link to Health Canada page on proposed re-evaluation decision 

Health Canada plans to phase out controversial pesticide

by CARLY WEEKS The Globe and Mail

Health Canada said Wednesday it wants to phase out a controversial pesticide that’s come under increasing scrutiny because of its possible role in the decline of the bee population. But the new federal phaseout is being done because of the risk to aquatic insects, not pollinators.

Health Canada said in a news release that the current use of the pesticide imidacloprid is “not sustainable” and that the levels found in waterways and aquatic environments “are harmful to aquatic insects” including mayflies and midges, important food sources for fish, birds and other living things.

Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid, a popular class of pesticides used to protect against insects. Imidacloprid is absorbed by the plant, protecting it as a whole. There is no evidence to suggest the pesticide poses a risk to human health, according to Health Canada.

The phaseout would apply to trees, greenhouse uses of the pesticide, commercial seed treatment, outdoor agricultural uses and turf. It would not apply to use of the pesticide in and around homes or buildings, injections directly into tree trunks or use of the pesticide in flea, tick and lice treatments in cats and dogs.

The decision was made after department officials completed a re-evaluation of imidacloprid, which found the risks to aquatic insects to be unacceptably high. The assessment also found that birds and small mammals who feed on seeds treated with imidacloprid may also be at risk. In light of the evidence, the government has decided to launch reviews of two other popular neonicotinoids, called clothianidin and thiamethoxam.

Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency is also conducting a separate assessment of what role those three neonicotinoids are playing in the decline of bees. Earlier this year, Health Canada published a preliminary assessment of imidacloprid that found the pesticide did not pose a significant risk to pollinators. The final assessment of the three pesticides is expected to be published next year.

In the case of imidacloprid, the government is proposing a three- to five-year phaseout plan, with the longer timeframe being used to accommodate those who can’t find suitable alternatives to imidacloprid.

Faisal Moola, director general for Ontario and Northern Canada with the David Suzuki Foundation, said news of the phaseout is welcome. But he questioned the need for such a long lead time before the proposed changes take effect, especially considering that other jurisdictions, such as Ontario, have already moved forward with regulations to reduce imidacloprid. A ban on the chemical is already in place in the European Union.

Moola said he is “baffled” the government hasn’t taken more action to restrict these pesticides to help protect pollinators, as so much research has shown they pose a risk to bees.

On its website, Health Canada acknowledges reports of bee deaths linked to exposure to dust from corn and soy seeds treated with neonicotinoids. But new planting rules adopted in 2014 helped reduce bee deaths from pesticide exposure by up to 80 per cent, the department says.

The proposed changes are open to a 90-day consultation period. Health Canada said it would consider “potential alternative mitigation strategies that would achieve the same outcomes in a similar time frame.”

Health Canada proposes ban of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticide

Current use of imidacloprid is ‘not sustainable’ says Health Canada in draft risk assessment on the pesticide

By Lisa Johnson, CBC News

Health Canada is proposing a ban on almost all uses of a controversial neonicotinoid pesticide called imidacloprid, saying it is seeping into Canadian waterways at levels that can harm insects and the ecosystem.

Neonicotinoid pesticides, the most widely used class of insecticides in the world, have faced increasing restrictions because of the risk they pose to bees, but have been allowed in Canada for agricultural and cosmetic purposes.

Today, Health Canada released its draft risk assessment for imidacloprid for public comment.

“Based on currently available information, the continued high-volume use of imidacloprid in agricultural areas is not sustainable,” the assessment states.

It proposes phasing out all agricultural uses of imidacloprid, and a majority of other uses, over the next three to five years.

“I’m really surprised,” said Mark Winston, a professor of apiculture at Simon Fraser University and senior fellow at the university’s Centre for Dialogue.

“To take an action to phase out a chemical that is so ubiquitous, and for which there is so much lobbying pressure from industry, I think that’s a really bold move.”

Based on its findings for imidacloprid, Health Canada is launching “special reviews” of two other widely used neonicotinoids: clothiandin and thiamethoxam.

Contaminated waterways, risk to insects

Imidacloprid is a broad-spectrum insecticide that works by interfering with the nerve impulses of insects, killing them.

It’s used to control pests on a large number of agricultural crops, from cereals and grains to Christmas trees and ornamentals, says Health Canada.

Some homeowners also use it kill chafer beetle larvae and other grubs that destroy their lawns.

The chemical’s toxicity to bees and other insects is not in scientific dispute, though regulators worldwide have wrestled with the question of whether it could be used at times, or at low enough concentrations, to mitigate those risks given its usefulness to agriculture.

Health Canada’s review found imidacloprid is getting into the environment, through run-off and drifting spray, and is “being detected frequently in Canadian surface and groundwater.”

Imidacloprid has been found, in rare cases, in concentrations as high as 11.9 parts per billion, more than 290 times the level considered concerning based on scientific evidence, Health Canada said.

In areas of “intense agricultural activity” in Ontario and Quebec, the agency found the chemical “frequently in surface water at levels well above concentrations that may result in toxic effects to insects.”

Those insects, including mayflies and midges, are important to the ecosystem as food for fish, birds and other animals. The review also found a risk to soil-dwelling organisms.

It did not find a risk to human health from exposure to the chemical.

Bayer, which developed imidacloprid in the 1980s and is still a key manufacturer of products using it, said it was “extremely disappointed” with Health Canada’s announcement.

“We will conduct a thorough review of their proposal and supporting data, and provide input into the consultation process,” Bayer responded in a statement.

“Canadian growers value imidacloprid due to its efficacy, safety to applicators and favourable environmental profile, when used according to label instructions.”

Bees and neonicotinoids

The review released today didn’t look at bees — that’s being done in a separate assessment — but the effect of neonicotinoids on bees has been hotly debated amid widespread colony collapse.

Vancouver and Montreal have both voted to ban the use of neonicotinoids, and Ontario and Quebec have moved to limit use of the chemicals, citing concerns about bees.

Neonicotinoids can kill bees at high concentrations, and cause more subtle but still damaging effects at lower levels, says Winston, who is also author of Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive.

However, the exact role of “neonics” in colony collapse, compared to other pesticides and stressors on bees, is still being determined, he says.

SPECIAL REPORT | Bee researchers raise more warning flags about neonicotinoid pesticides
“Eliminating neonicotinoids in my opinion will help bees, but it will not solve the entire bee crisis,” said Winston. “It’s a good step in that direction.”

“It’s a complex problem … we need to take a broader-spectrum look at how we do agriculture if the bees are going to return to health and prosperity.”

Chafer Coquitlam Building
Imidacloprid was banned this year in Vancouver, where it had been used for cosmetic purposes, including killing chafer beetle larvae that raccoons dig for. (Margaret Gallagher/CBC)

Public input requested

Health Canada is taking public comments on the proposal for 90 days, until Feb. 17, 2017, and will publish a final decision after that input.

In a statement, Health Minister Jane Philpott said the proposal is an example of science-based decision-making, which the Liberal government had promised.

“Health Canada is taking the findings of the re-evaluation of this pesticide seriously, and is taking action to further protect the environment,” she said.

Environmental Defence, based in Toronto, applauded the proposal to ban imidacloprid, but wants it to happen more quickly.

“This timeline is unnecessarily long,” said Maggie MacDonald in a statement. “The federal government must accelerate the phase-out to prevent further harm to aquatic wildlife and pollinators.”

Winston thinks the timeline is appropriate, and hopes it gives farmers time to find more sustainable approaches — and not another synthetic pesticide.

“Giving farmers a few years to adapt, but making it clear that they need to adapt, is probably the most balanced way to go.”