WXXI News
Governor Kathy Hochul has less than ten days to act on a piece of legislation that would limit the use of certain pesticides in the state. If passed, the Birds and Bees Protection Act would prohibit the sale of neonic pesticides or the use of seeds coated with those pesticides.
Environmental groups are in favor of the bill, saying it would protect the health of humans and wildlife. Agricultural groups that oppose it say it would whittle away at pest protections farmers need every season. This hour, we explore various sides of the issue as the bill sits on the governor’s desk.
Our guests:
- Daniel Raichel, acting director of the Pollinator Initiative in the Wildlife Division at the Natural Resources Defense Council
- Kathleen Nolan, M.D., pediatrician, president of the New York Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, member of the Ulster County Legislature, and senior research director at Catskill Mountainkeeper
- David DeGolyer, executive consultant at WNY Crop Management Association
- Rick Zimmerman, former deputy commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and longtime agricultural policy expert
