Today, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Administrative Law Judge sided with EPA in a case which could force Bayer to cancel all uses of flubendiamide, or Belt, in the United States.
The judge’s initial decision will now be reviewed by the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) and will not be considered final until the EAB issues its ruling in July. While under EAB review, distributors, retailers and farmers can continue to buy, sell and use the product in their operations.
Bayer believes that EPA’s proposal to cancel the product exaggerates its environmental risk, violates transparent and proper regulatory processes, undermines the scientific integrity of the regulatory system and ultimately seeks to deny farmers a valuable tool to manage destructive pests on their farms. To learn more about the case, read Bayer Fights EPA over Use of Pesticide and EPA Moves to Cancel Belt Insecticide Use.
Western Growers is working to help keep the product on the market for our members that rely on this important product. For more information, please contact Hank Giclas at (949) 885-2205.