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Thursday, February 6, 2025

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Judge pauses deadline for federal workers to accept Trump's resignation offer; CA state lawmakers take action to enact safeguards against federal immigration enforcement; Study shows air quality disparities from industrial ag in NC.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Report: Harmful pesticides found in CT rivers, groundwater

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Wednesday, February 5, 2025   

A new report showed a growing problem of harmful pesticides in Connecticut waterways.

The University of Connecticut study analyzed 20 years of data, finding neonicotinoids are increasingly prevalent in the state's waterways. Levels of the pesticides in rivers are higher than Environmental Protection Agency standards.

Louise Washer, organizer for the environmental advocacy coalition Connecticut Pesticide Reform, said the pesticides harm river-dwelling mayflies.

"We see a quarter of the mayflies in the Norwalk River, for example, than were observed in 1989," Washer reported. "We see a third of the richness of mayfly species than were observed in 1989."

While many factors affect mayflies' population numbers, their sensitivity to neonics is a major factor in population decline. As comprehensive as the report is, Washer argued more testing is needed in certain places. Previous reports showed the chemicals have vast human health effects.

Connecticut lawmakers introduced bills banning neonicotinoids in previous legislative sessions. Despite widespread support, they never made it out of committee.

Neonicotinoids have been banned or heavily restricted in numerous areas for the harmful effects they have on wildlife. The pesticides are commonly used, which is one of the biggest hurdles to banning them. Connecticut golf courses are the heaviest users of neonicotinoids for grub control and farmers use seeds coated with them for pest control.

Washer pointed out there are some better ways to use pesticides.

"Integrated pest management is a term that means treating pests that are actually present and using the least toxic pesticide available to do that," Washer explained. "The problem with some of these prophylactic uses is that integrated pest management kind of gets thrown out the window because you're using the stuff whether there's a problem or not."

Products like Grub Gone are less toxic than neonics for lawn care. As for treated seeds, Washer pointed to another pesticide called diamides. Though it's less toxic to bees, it poses higher risks to butterflies and moths. The hope is more sustainable practices protect birds, pollinators and human health.


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