The Xerces Society joined a group of environmental and health organizations to petition the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to regulate the planting of crop seeds coated with systemic insecticides. California's pesticide regulatory system has a loophole that allows for unchecked use of insecticide-coated seed on farms throughout the state. Neonicotinoid insecticides are commonly used as seed coatings, resulting in significant contamination of California's waterways and ecosystems as they move off-field. Regulation of insecticide seed coatings will ensure that all agricultural pesticide applications in the state are reported and tracked. The petitioners are Natural Resources Defense Council, Californians for Pesticide Reform, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, Pesticide Action Network North America, and the Xerces Society.

Neonicotinoids in California: Their Use and Threats to the State’s Aquatic Ecosystems and Pollinators, with a Focus on Neonic-Treated Seeds, the scientific report on which this petition is based, was also released today. See Attachment A below.