FW: Report on Minnesota Monarch Kill

[Mike Quinn]

Minnesota Department of Agriculture
90 West Plato Boulevard
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55107
(651) 297-1629

2001 News Releases 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, January 25, 2001

Contact:
Michael Schommer, Communications Director, 651-297-1629
Paul Liemandt, Enforcement Section Manager, 651-297-4872

MDA wraps up investigation of monarch butterfly deaths in Gaylord

ST. PAUL, Minn. -The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has completed
a lengthy investigation and concluded that the death of hundreds of monarch
butterflies in Gaylord, Minn., on August 23, 2000, cannot be attributed to
pesticide misuse during a routine municipal mosquito spraying. Instead, the
department concludes the deaths were due to an unfortunate coincidence.

Although the MDA confirmed that the "Biomist" mosquito control product
caused the butterfly mortalities, the department also determined that the
treatment was done in compliance with product label use directions as well
as state pesticide application regulations. Unfortunately, an unknown and
unpredicted concentration of monarch butterflies in Gaylord coincided with
the time of the mosquito control work. 

"Unintended impact on non-target insects is a rare but potential side effect
of mosquito control efforts," said MDA Enforcement Section Manager Paul
Liemandt. "The monarch mortalities certainly were unfortunate, and to be
avoided in the future, but they do not necessarily make the pesticide
application a violation of state or federal law."

The department's investigation also looked into allegations that some
residents of the city were harmfully exposed during the pesticide
application. Although a few residents expressed varying levels of concern,
the investigation found the complaints inconsistent and unsupported in view
of the extremely low toxicity of the product to humans, the minimal exposure
risk during the application, and the lack of medical confirmation of claimed
harmful effects.

MDA's investigation did find two matters that will require a regulatory
response. First, the pesticide product laboratory results revealed a problem
with the integrity of the Biomist and formulation oil mixture. It appeared
that the "active ingredient" contents ? as verified by laboratory analysis ?
was different from the product label statements, highlighting a
manufacturing quality control question. Since registered pesticides such as
the Biomist and formulation oil are primarily regulated by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the MDA is referring its lab data to
the EPA for further inquiry. 

Despite this possible formulation problem, the MDA does not believe the
August 23 application presented any extraordinary hazard to the city's
residents or the environment. In fact, the dosage of pesticide applied in
Gaylord, as determined by the department's investigation, was significantly
below the maximum level allowed under the product label instructions.

Second, MDA's investigation revealed that a pesticide application was
performed without proper licensing by the city of Gaylord's hired applicator
on July 2, 2000. The MDA issued an enforcement penalty action for this
licensing failure. However, the department found that the other applications
performed in Gaylord by this contracted applicator ? including the
application on the evening of the butterflies deaths ? were done with prior
MDA competency training, testing and licensing. 

http://www.mda.state.mn.us/../newsreleases/2001news/jan25_01.html

 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl