Policy Mitigating Acute Risk to Bees from Pesticide Products
EPA’s Policy Mitigating Acute Risk to Bees from Pesticide Products protects bees from agricultural pesticide spray and dust applications while the bees are under contract to provide pollination services. The policy also recommends that states and tribes develop pollinator protection plans and best management practices.
The policy and its supporting documents, as well as the original proposal and public comments received, are all available at www.regulations.gov in docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0818.
State and Tribal Managed Pollinator Protection Plans
EPA is working with state and tribal agencies to develop and implement local pollinator protection plans, known as Managed Pollinator Protection Plans (MP3s). EPA is promoting MP3s to address potential pesticide exposure to bees at and beyond the site of the application. However, states and tribes have the flexibility to determine the scope of pollinator protection plans that best responds to pollinator issues in their regions. For example, state and tribal MP3s may address pesticide-related risks to all pollinators, including managed bees and wild insect and non-insect pollinators.
The State FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group developed a guidance document to assist states with the development of MP3s (PDF) (7 pp, 119.28 K, About PDF) Exit, which includes a recommendation to evaluate the effectiveness of MP3s in reducing pesticide exposure to bees. Tribes may also find this guidance document helpful.
EPA will monitor the success of these MP3s in mitigating risks to bees from highly toxic pesticides on an ongoing basis and use this information when deciding whether or not further label restrictions are necessary.
Related Information
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