The EPA has granted a specific exemption to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to allow the sale of the insecticide Dinotefuran for limited agricultural use on apples and peaches to combat the outbreak of the brown marmorated stink bug, according to Rep. Frank Wolf (VA-10).
Virginia placed the EPA request on behalf of Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Facing potentially devastating economic damage from the stink bug invasion across the region, the Commonwealth of Virginia requested a temporary exemption under provisions of section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act for the regulated use of Dinotefuran.
Dinotefuran is an insecticide already regulated for commercial pesticide control for some other agricultural products, including melons and grapes. The EPA exemption effective through October 15 would allow farmers and growers in these states to also use this product for stink bug control on stone and pome fruit. As part of the exemption, the EPA issued guidelines for the use of the product to mitigate unintended consequences, including its toxicity to honey bees.
Virginia agricultural officials will continue to assess the effectiveness of Dinotefuran in controlling stink bugs and its impact on the ecosystem and work with the EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in considering additional solutions.
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