EPA prohibits sale of pesticide sulfoxaflor

In the wake of an appellate court decision, the EPA barred the sale or distribution in the U.S. of sulfoxaflor, a pesticide used on produce but toxic to honeybees. The cancellation took effect on Thursday but growers will be allowed to use up their stocks of the chemical, approved for use on crops such as citrus, cotton, canola, strawberries, soybeans and wheat, said the Los Angeles Times.

“Sold under the brand names Closer and Transform, sulfoxaflor is an insecticide aimed at piercing and sucking insects such as aphids and lygus,” said the Times. The appeals court ruled on Sept. 10 that the EPA had improperly approved the pesticide. The decision became final on the same day that the agency cancelled the registration. Dow, the developer of the pesticide, said “concerns about harm to bees could easily have been addressed by EPA without rescinding permission to use the chemical,” said the newspaper.

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