Take action now: Tell the EPA to protect our bees, birds, and health from neonic-coated seeds!

A key culprit in the decline of essential pollinators like bees and butterflies is the massive overuse of pesticides like neonicotinoids, especially neonic-coated seeds. Once the seed is planted, the toxic chemicals are absorbed by the whole crop -- making entire plants toxic to pollinators. The lack of regulations on neonic-coated seeds allow these unchecked pesticides devastate our environment. So we need your help to rein in the use of these toxic seeds.

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To whom it may concern,

I am greatly concerned that seeds coated with neonicotinoid pesticides are currently unregulated. When these pesticide-coated seeds are planted, their toxins poison entire crops, our waterways, and kill off our pollinators. A recent study found that if we don’t address the serious decline in butterflies, bees, other pollinators and other essential insects we could see a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems.”

These insecticides are used on over 140 crops and a large percentage of soy, corn, wheat and canola seeds are coated with the pesticides. Depending on the crop, only about 5 percent of the chemical in the seed enters the plant. The remaining 95 percent pollutes our environment through seed dust, soil contamination and water runoff. The use of neonicotinoid-coated seeds has increased significantly since 2000. According to a study conducted at Penn State, less than 30 percent of corn acres were treated with an insecticide, but by 2011, at least 79 percent of all corn acres were planted with neonicotinoid-coated seed, which resulted in a significant expansion of insecticide use. Now over 90 percent of corn seed is treated with neonics.

Based on EPA’s own analysis in October 2014, neonicotinoid-coated soybean seeds offer little or no economic benefit to U.S. soybean production and treated seeds do not protect soybean yield better than using no pest control.  This analysis confirms what a growing body of scientific evidence has found and which has led a number of states to restrict neonicotinoid pesticides.

Yet, despite evidence showing these seed coatings offer little benefit to farmers, but are significantly contributing to soil and water contamination, EPA downplays the impact of these coated seeds. Many beekeepers experience significant bee kills and pesticide contamination incidents from the dust of these coated seeds, yet EPA minimizes these numbers.

Therefore I am asking that EPA end the loophole in federal pesticide policy that allows pesticide-coated seed treatments to go unregulated. I urge EPA begin regulating the use of pesticide-coated seeds and require warning labels and use directions on seed bags that minimize pollinator exposure in an attempt to address the serious decline of our pollinators and ensure we keep these toxic pesticides out of our food and environment.

Thank you for considering my position,

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