EPA: Ban Bee-Killing Pesticides

Docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0844, EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0865, EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-058, and EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0920

Just last year, our country listed the rusty patched bumble bee as endangered -- they've lost 87 percent of their population over that last 20 years. Each of the four listed neonicotinoid pesticides are highly toxic to rusty patched bumble bees. These bumblebees and other native insects contribute an estimated $3 billion to our economy through pollination, and both their absence and the impact of these pesticides on our ecosystems can have a significant negative impact on the survival of other wildlife -- from birds to amphibians.

I urge you to ban the use of these pesticides, for the sake of the rusty patched bumble bee, other wildlife, and our environment.