TORONTO – The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has proposed a phase-out of outdoor uses of two bee-killing pesticides, Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam, due to the risks they pose to aquatic invertebrates, and the fish, birds, and other animals that rely on them as a food source.

Bronwyn Roe, Ecojustice lawyer said:

The PMRA’s proposed decision to cancel all outdoor uses of Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam due to their environmental risks confirms what Ecojustice and our clients have known all along: Neonicotinoid pesticides are dangerous and pose grave risks to the environment. Without adequate scientific study, these products have been allowed to enter the market where they have remained for sale and use—despite their environmental risks—for more than a decade. This troubling pattern of behavior by the PMRA is unacceptable.

Our lawsuit, which will be heard in November, makes the case that the way Canada currently regulates these harmful pesticides is not only sub-standard — it is unlawful.  For more than two years, the federal government has attempted to delay our clients’ day in court, but we have prevailed at every turn and look forward to meeting them in court for a full hearing this fall.”

About

In July 2016, Ecojustice lawyers filed a lawsuit on behalf of the David Suzuki Foundation, Friends of the Earth Canada, Ontario Nature and the Wilderness Committee challenging the PMRA’s ongoing practice of registering Thiamethoxam pesticides for use in the absence of the scientific information required to understand their risks to pollinators. The lawsuit will be heard by the Federal Court in November.

Ecojustice, Canada’s largest environmental law charity, uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment for all.

For media inquiries
Leyla Top, Communications Associate | Ecojustice
1-800-926-7744 ext. 277, ltop@ecojustice.ca