The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released its draft biological assessment (BE) that contains analysis of the potential effects of the insecticide sulfoxaflor on federally listed and threatened species and designated critical habitats. The draft BE will be available for comment for 60 days.
Sulfoxaflor was first registered in 2013 and is used on a variety of crops to combat difficult pests such as aphids and spotted plant bugs (lygus). It is an alternative to other insecticides, such as carbamates, neonicotinoids, organophosphates and pyrethroids.
The draft assessment concludes that, in general, when compared to insecticides such as the neonicotinoids imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, and the organophosphate insecticides chlorpyrifos and diazinon, sulfoxaflor is less persistent and less toxic to most species, which generally leads to lower risks for humans. health and environment.
The BE is part of EPA's efforts to meet its obligations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This work advances the goals outlined in EPA's April 2022 ESA Work Plan to provide practical protections against pesticides for listed species.
In 2015, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the EPA's 2013 registration of sulfoxaflor, citing inadequate data on sulfoxaflor's effects on bees. Following the court's ruling, the EPA issued a cancellation order on November 12, 2015, prohibiting the distribution or sale of sulfoxaflor.
In 2016, the EPA issued a new limited registration for sulfoxaflor, allowing its use only on crops that are not attractive to pollinators or in situations that minimize or eliminate potential exposure to bees. These new restrictions have virtually eliminated exposure to bees in the field, and the EPA has been able to register certain uses of sulfoxaflor while protecting pollinators.
In 2019, after completing a comprehensive risk assessment of the effects of sulfoxaflor that used a large data set on potential effects on bees, the EPA expanded the registration of sulfoxaflor to include uses in alfalfa, corn, cocoa, grains, pineapple, sorghum , citrus, cotton, cucurbits, soybeans and strawberries. The EPA also changed the instructions for use that were registered in 2016.
EPA's draft BE concludes that sulfoxaflor is likely to negatively affect certain listed species and designated critical habitats.
A “likely to adversely affect” (LAA) determination means that EPA reasonably expects that at least one individual animal or plant, among a variety of listed species, could be exposed to sulfoxaflor at a level sufficient to have an adverse effect. This is the case even if a listed species has nearly recovered to a point where it may no longer need to be listed.
In this BE, EPA further refined its analysis to predict the likelihood that the use of sulfoxaflor could lead to endangerment of certain listed species or adverse modification of designated critical habitats.
In contrast to its LAA determinations, EPA's probability of risk and adverse modification predictions examine the effects of sulfoxaflor at the species scale (population as opposed to an individual of a species).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (collectively “the Services”) will make the final decision on whether the use of sulfoxaflor may lead to harm or adverse modification.
The document placed for public consultation can be read (in English) at the link below:
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