The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is extending the public comment period for neonicotinoid insecticide risk assessments from Feb. 20, 2018, to April 21, 2018.

The EPA published preliminary ecological and human health risk assessments in December 2017 for the neonicotinoid insecticides, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and dinotefuran, and a preliminary ecological risk assessment for imidacloprid (assessing risks to birds, mammals, non-target insects, and plants).

In December 2017, the EPA also published new cotton and citrus benefits assessments for foliar applications of the neonicotinoids, as well as a response to public comments on the 2014 Benefits of Neonicotinoid Seed Treatment to Soybean Production.

EPA encourages stakeholders and interested members of the public to comment on these assessments in the dockets linked below. EPA may revise the assessments based on information and comments received. The agency plans to release the final pollinator risk assessments for these chemicals in mid-2018.

Imidacloprid registration review docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0844

Clothianidin registration review docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0865

Thiamethoxam registration review docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0581

Dinotefuran registration review docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0920 

Source: EPA