I signed the petition to get Aminopyralid banned, and got this response this morning:
The Government is determined to ensure that all pesticides, including aminopyralid, used in this country are safe to people and the environment.
No pesticide may be sold or used unless Ministers have given specific approval. If pesticides are known to have serious health effects, or such effects are discovered, they are not approved. In addition, uses of pesticides are not approved if they would result in residues which were unsafe to consumers. Statutory conditions of use are placed on individual pesticides to ensure that they can be used safely and provided products are used in accordance with these statutory conditions of approval they pose no unacceptable risk to people or the environment.
Unfortunately the label prohibition on using manure that could contain aminopyralid on susceptible crops has not always have been followed when manure has been supplied to allotment holders and gardeners resulting in damaged crops. However the Government confirms that this has no implications for human or animal health.
The manufacturers of aminopyralid products have now withdrawn their products from sale and the Government has formally suspended their approvals whilst they investigate the options for mitigating against a recurrence of this problem. Only when the Government is satisfied that the necessary measures to achieve this can be put in place will aminopyralid products be allowed back on the market.
Next week then..... :-X
Did you manage to get to the end? I nodded off!
Although it looks like they might be taking something seriously for once!
similar to the letter i got from defra via my M.P. ;)
As it is getting nearer to Spring and the need to spray is coming around again does any one know what alternative is being offered for this substance?
Don't bet it's not coming back.
There are hundreds of other herbicides to chose from.
In a recent copy of GYO, it stated that manure believed to be contaminated with Aminopyralid should be left for 2 years for the manure to be safe to use. So if you have some of this type of manure all is not lost.
That's not good advice if they mean left in a stack. Aminopyralid needs first to be released from the plant material by it rotting away then needs a couple of weeks exposure to soil-based organisms to be neutralised. That doesn't happen in a stack.
If you suspect the manure to be contaminated, the safe disposal route is to spread on grass.