New label laws help protect bees

New label laws help protect bees

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is reminding importers and manufacturers that label requirements for some organophosphate and carbamate (OPC) insecticides will take effect on 1 July 2016.
In 2015 approvals were modified for 15 OPC substances containing acephate, dimethoate, methamidophos, methomyl and oxamyl.

“The EPA set non-contact periods (that’s the time lag between spraying and when the plant begins to flower) for four of these substances,” explains Ray McMillan, EPA’s Acting General Manager of Hazardous Substances and New Organisms. “This non-contact period will help protect bees and other insect pollinators from being exposed to insecticides that have been applied to plants.

“No specific non-contact period was set for substances with the active ingredient methamidophos. However, users cannot apply insecticides that contain any of these active ingredients when bees are foraging. Spraying a plant or tree where bees are likely to forage when it’s in flower or part-bloom is also not allowed,” said Mr McMillan.

The changes to product labels as a result of this reassessment will take full effect on 1 July 2016. The following non-contact periods will apply (with crop exceptions in brackets):

• seven days for products containing acephate (except in lemons)

• seven days for products containing dimethoate (no exceptions)

• eight days for products containing methomyl (except in strawberries and greenhouse tomatoes)

• 10 days for oxamyl.

Only approved handlers are able to buy these OPC insecticides. They must follow strict rules around their storage, use and disposal.

Other control measures in effect for OPCs include:

• users must hold approved handler certification

• setting application parameters (such as maximum application rates and frequencies)

• restricting application methods (such as prohibiting aerial application of some substances and restricting indoor application to automated methods)

• spray drift management

• a label statement to indicate that the substance is an organophosphate or carbamate

• label warnings of risks to bees

• re-entry intervals.

• Read the decision document [EPA website]
•
In New Zealand all hazardous substances need an approval under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act. The EPA’s role is assess to set controls for approved substances. We assess the benefits, risks and costs of hazardous substances to safeguard people and the environment.

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