1. Seed Treatment and Environment Committee

2. Anderson vs. EPA/Seed Treatment Lawsuit
Kristin Landis, CropLife America
Next steps

3. Biologic Seed treatment working group update
23 Members
Conference call February 16, 2016
Topics Covered
Regulatory picture
Allied coalitions – Biopesticide Industry Association, Biostimulant Coalition
Future discussions – interest in focusing on state regulation of biostimulants

4. Biological Seed Treatment Working Group
Complicated regulatory picture – Federal and State oversight
EPA
State plant food control officials
State pesticide regulators
State seed control officials
Biologic seed treatments of interest to many ASTA members
EPA regulates pesticides and plant growth regulators based on FIFRA
State Plant Food Control Officials regulate fertilizers. No national fertilizer law. Some follow Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFO) definitions and some do not.
State pesticide regulators regulate pesticides at the state level.
State Seed Control Officials regulate seed

5. Next steps
EPA guidance coming out soon on their approach to biostimulants. May have public meeting or public comment.
Align priorities among ASTA members and with industry coalitions.
Discussion at Association of State Seed Control Officials summer meeting

6. Guide to Seed treatment stewardship
Plans for
Update website
Revise materials
General messages
Draft
Farmer messages
What are the highest priority messages?
Develop distribution plan
GSTS Working Group to reconvene in July

7. HONEYBEE HEALTH COALITION
Crop Pest Management
MP3 plan development and implementation
Forage and Nutrition
Input to USDA Farm Service Agency for potential new conservation program for managed bees - CP42B
NASDA

8. REGULATORY UPDATE U.S. Neonic review
Chemical Name and Docket Number
Planned Completion
Milestones
Imidacloprid EPA-HQ-OPP
initial pollinator-only risk assessment issued for public comment in January 2016
potential early pollinator mitigation in 2016
remainder of risk assessments issued for public comment later in 2016
Clothianidin EPA-HQ-OPP
initial set of risk assessments issued for public comment in 2016
remainder of risk assessments issued for public comment in 2017
Thiamethoxam EPA-HQ-OPP

9. REGULATORY UPDATE Canada: fungicide review
Thiram
Proposal to cancel all uses
ASTA comments – May 27
Valuable tool
Risk assessment over stated impact of seed treatment usage
Iprodione (Rovral)
Used as seed treatment for carrot
Comments due July 14
Captan
Cancel seed treatment uses
Comments due July 29
Registration review $40 million in vegetable seed sales.
½ an ounce per acre of vegetable production

10. ASTA Treatment & Environment Committee Tuesday, June 21, 2016
State Regulation of Neonicotinoids
Pat Miller
ASTA Director, State Affairs

11. NOTE: States are currently in process of creating pollinator protection plans as ‘mandated’ by USDA
Through Farm Bureaus, Ag Departments, etc.

12. Legislation Search (all states, 2016 sessions)
Bees bills
Neonicotinoids – 25 bills
Pollinator – 83 bills
Monarchs – 41 bills

13. Focus of Legislation
Study / creation of a pollinator protection plan
Ban neonics
Awareness/resolutions
Cooperative efforts between state agencies
Designation of state insect
Special license plates/months/etc.
Recognition of community projects
Save the milkweed programs

14. Legislation Passed CA AB 559 CT SB 231
Monarch butterflies: conservation
Fish and Game Code: awareness/partnership
CT SB 231
Establishment of best practices (Citizen’s Guide)
Limitations on application
Highway ROW pollinator planting preference
Creation of a Pollinator Advisory Committee
Impact report mandate
General pollinator management

15. MD HB 211 / SB 198 (was much worse when filed)
Legislation Passed
MD HB 211 / SB 198 (was much worse when filed)
Restrictions on sales and use of neonics
License to apply required (farmers exempt)
Creation of a pollinator protection plan
Government pollinator risk assessment

16. Legislation Passed VT H 861
Initially, the bill would have allowed the state to regulate “treated articles” (i.e. utility poles, commercial crop seeds, and lumber)
The state’s agriculture agency currently regulates pesticide and herbicide use with the exception of treated articles.
The bill, as passed, establishes a committee to study the impact of the pesticides on bee populations

17. Regulatory Action MN Pollinator Law
The supervisor of the Nursery Inspection Unit of the Plant Protection Unit stated that “Seed is covered under the Pollinator Statute as plant material. So seed advertised as pollinator friendly or beneficial to bees, insects, birds etc would be subject to possible sampling and testing (for pesticides)”
Thus, if labeled as pollinator ‘friendly’ then it must not have levels of systemic insecticides that cause greater than the no observed adverse effect in pollinators
However, the state seed control official intervened and conveyed that nursery didn’t have jurisdiction

18. Questions?