[davethespread]

ive signed it,they bang on about drinking and smoking causing cancer and use a product that passes through animals that are in our food chain and is still potant enough to kill crops at the finish. they are prepared to relicense it,anything for profit

[glallotments]

Looks like a lost cause!!!

New! Information on the lifting of the suspension of aminopyralid approvals

Latest on DOWs website

http://www.dowagro.com/uk/aminopyralidsuspension.htm

[bigshod]

The answer I'm afraid is that it IS back. According to Dow http://www.dowagro.com/uk/aminopyralidsuspension.ht   They must be as pleased as I am unhappy. No more manure touches my plot until I can be certain it has no plant killer in it.

[viettaclark]

I suppose using mushroom compost will be ok because it's already been used for mushrooms? And I agree with whoever said they don't use council compost......although their heaps are probably huge and very hot I have put blighted toms, moss etc in my green bag in the past. I bet the council stuff ends up in commercial bagged compost as well!
Best to use your own......it's all very scary really.

[davethespread]

i have just had an email answered by dowagrosciencesuk, saying aminopyralid has been re-approved with a much stronger stewardship process designed to prevent manure from treated animals, being used for gardens and allotments or farm crops.it may not be used on grass which is to grazed by horses,or fields to be used for hay or silage. many cases of affected manure on allotments and gardens came form horse manure.agronomists selling the product will have to recieve specific training on the new stewardship programme,which will involve them having to train the farmers on all the new recommendations and restrictions.the farmer will have to sign a letter stating he has received the training and agrees to be bond by the rules and restrictions in the use of the product.all this will be monitered by CRD formerly known as PSD (pesticide safety directorate).

[glallotments]

And I agree with whoever said they don't use council compost......although their heaps are probably huge and very hot I have put blighted toms, moss etc in my green bag in the past. I bet the council stuff ends up in commercial bagged compost as well!
Best to use your own......it's all very scary really.

This quote on the DOW website In specific formulations it also has the potential to control invasive weeds, such as Japanese knotweed, in amenity areas and industrial sites.
implies that the chemical could be used by councils too so if effect could end up in green waste!

[Kristen]

And I agree with whoever said they don't use council compost."

Me too.

Verdone Extra (I think that's the one) contains a chemical similar to Aminopyralid (sorry, forgotten the name) and the small print has dire warnings about not composting any clippings or putting them in the council composting bin.  I somehow doubt that will be honoured 100%

[davethespread]

its funny,when i emailed them about council composting and wether that would be monitered they never replied.

[glallotments]

And I agree with whoever said they don't use council compost."

Me too.

Verdone Extra (I think that's the one) contains a chemical similar to Aminopyralid (sorry, forgotten the name) and the small print has dire warnings about not composting any clippings or putting them in the council composting bin.  I somehow doubt that will be honoured 100%

Kristen the chemical in Verdone+ is clopyralid - it has casued problems in the US composting industry

[bigshod]

Two MPs have posted Early Day motions here http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39228&SESSION=899
 and here http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39225&SESSION=899. 
Please contact your own MPs and ask them to sign especially if you or your gardening friends have suffered damage from aminopyralid contamination.
Also the online petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/aminopyralidban/ still has over a week to go and is over 2500 signatures. If you haven't signed yet, could you please?

[greenhead]

Just signed the petition at 3.45pm, there were 2538 signatures.  It is important we ALL sign.

[realfood]

I have just e-mailed my MP asking her to support the early day motion. I had previously been in correspondence with her on this very problem and I think that she is supportive.

[glallotments]

Today is the last chance you will have to sign up to the epetition.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/aminopyralidban/

I'm certainly not a political animal but so far no Conservative MPs have signed either EDM so if we could get some of them to support it - it would give a more cross party feel to the problem.

[Aunt Sally]

Number 10 reply is published

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page21280

Read the Government’s response

The Government acknowledges the difficulties that the use of manure containing traces of aminopyralid has caused some gardeners and allotment holders.  In issuing approvals for two new products, it carefully considered the advice of the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP).

The restrictions on the new approvals are intended to ensure that manure containing aminopyralid does not leave the farm: 

The new products may only be used on grassland for grazing (not for forage) or amenity grassland.
The labels must state that manure from animals grazed on grassland treated with aminopyralid should be returned directly to grassland - i.e. kept on farm.  Similarly, labels will contain a warning that animal waste or plant material suspected of containing aminopyralid must not be used for composting or mulching.
Only grassland grazed by cattle and sheep may be treated - not land grazed by horses.
DowAgrosciences has developed a communications and stewardship campaign for users and distributors to further reduce the risk of problems arising from manure containing aminopyralid residues.

The company will also submit regular reports to Government detailing any complaints and the action taken.  These complaints and any received directly will be monitored and, where appropriate, investigated by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate.

If, despite these additional controls and safeguards, significant problems arise in future, the Government’s position will be reviewed again.

[crh75]

Only grassland grazed by cattle and sheep may be treated - not land grazed by horses.

So it does seem that horse manure will be unaffected by the reinstatement.  Lets hope it stays that way!