Connecticut Environmental Council

Legislative Alert
Public Hearing February 15

The Environment Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, February 15, 2023

at 11:00 A.M. in Room 2B of the LOB and via Zoom. You must register no later than Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 3:00 PM.

Engagement requested:

Submit written testimony here
- Email a copy to testimony@ctenvironmentalfacts.org
Email your legislator to share your position.
- Find your legislator here
Call your legislator to follow up
Show up to the Public Hearing
- Provide oral testimony, You must register no later than Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 3:00 PM. Register here.
- Connect with your legislator while at the Legislative Office Building

Submit written and/or oral testimony on the following:

SB00963 An Act Concerning Neonicotinoids For Non-agricultural Use. - K - Kill

SB00962 An Act Concerning The Use Of Certain Rodenticides. - K - Kill

SB00965 An Act Providing Funding For The Removal Of Hazardous Or Dead Trees By Municipalities. - S - Support

For more information on submitting testimony, sample letter/format, directions to the Legislative Office Building visit www.ctenvironmentalfacts.org Advocacy pages.

Submitting Testimony:

On company letterhead (if available) include:

1. Who are you and where do you live?
2. Why should they care about your opinion?
  1. Profession/experience
  2. Economic Impact
  3. Best Practices, environmental impact
3. Talking points – choose two or three that are most important to you or your business.
4. Submit your testimony here.
5. Send a copy of your testimony to CTEC via email: testimony@ctenvironmentalfacts.org.

Talking points and sample letter can be found at ctenvironmentalfacts.org Advocacy pages.

Attending the public hearing:

Wednesday, February 15th

Legislative Office Building, Room, 300 Capitol Ave #5100, Hartford, CT 06106, Room 2b

Parking

If the garage and overflow are full, parking meters on surrounding streets can be accessed remotely using the Woonert app.

Talking Points on Neonicotinoids

1. Pesticide decisions are best handled by regulatory agencies within the framework established under FIFRA.
  1. It is in the final stages of review at the federal level to determine if label changes are warranted based on the latest scientific data on impacts to human health and the environment.
  2. A more reasonable approach to managing pesticides would be to fully fund the DEEP Pesticide Division to improve their ability to manage and enforce the current regulations and labelling established under FIFRA, and to hire a Ph. D level Environmental Toxicologist to review all data provided by manufacturers and EPA as part of the annual registration review process at the state level.
2. Unintended Consequences
  1. Alternative products are often more expensive or pose a greater risk to pollinators and natural predators of other pests. Imposing this ban would result in greater reliance on products that have a less desirable impact on non-target insect populations.
  2. The language in this bill would remove all products in this class from the supply chain in CT, making them unavailable for emergency uses to control invasive species such as Emerald Ash Borer, Asiatic Long Horned Beetle, and Spotted Lantern Fly, putting our landscapes and forests at significant risk. This is inconsistent with the numerous bills that have been proposed to the Environment Committee that seek to protect and preserve the trees and forests in urban and rural landscapes.
  3. Climate change is contributing to the expanded range of these and other potentially damaging pests, putting the state's forests and other natural resources at risk.
  4. Pesticide decisions are best handled by regulatory agencies within the framework established under FIFRA.
3. Protecting pollinators
  1. Claims that current applications of neonicotinoids that are consistent with EPA approved labels are negatively impacting pollinators are based on misinformation and poorly interpreted scientific data. Real world evidence supports the fact that the greatest threats to pollinators are verroa mites and the diseases they spread, poor nutrition and loss of habitat, and transportation of commercial hives.
  2. More emphasis should be placed on expanding and improving pollinator habitat in urban and suburban landscapes. This should include adding pollinator friendly plants to medians and shoulders of state highways to create pollinator pathways.
  3. Many golf courses across the country maintain honeybee hives with no indication that pesticide use has any negative impact on populations.
  4. Pesticide decisions are best handled by regulatory agencies within the framework established under FIFRA.

Legislative Alert Public Hearing February 15

Legislative Alert
Public Hearing February 15