EPA Confirms Two More Neonics Imperil Endangered Species
October 28, 2024 | Source: NRDC | by Lucas Rhoads
As a result of years of NRDC litigation, EPA has finalized its determination that use of two neurotoxic neonicotinoid pesticides is likely to harm over 1,000 of our most imperiled species. The decision is a key step toward protections for these species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
While a formal determination of the pesticides’ impacts on threatened and endangered species will be now performed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), EPA’s decisions—known as “biological evaluations”— have some eye-popping findings. Specifically, EPA found that:
- Pesticide products containing the neonic chemical acetamiprid are likely to adversely affect 59% of all listed species (1,005 species).
- Pesticide products containing the neonic chemical dinotefuran are likely to adversely affect 73% of all listed species (1,259 species).