DC gardeners and beekeepers tell Ace and True Value: stop selling bee-killing pesticides
Media advisory for November 4, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Local gardeners, beekeepers, environmentalists and food safety advocates will swarm Ace and True Value stores on Wednesday, November 4 to deliver letters asking the home improvement retailers to remove bee-killing pesticides from store shelves. They join more than 5,000 people that will deliver letters to the retailers in more than 10 cities across the U.S. as part of a national week of action. A coalition led by Friends of the Earth, Organic Consumers Association and allies will deliver half a million petition signatures to the Ace and True Value Corporate Headquarters in Chicago, urging the retailers to eliminate products and plants pre-treated with bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides.
“Forward-looking ACE franchisees such as Eldredge Lumber and Hardware in York, Maine are already making the switch to safer organic products and practices, and encouraging their customers to follow suit,” said Drew Toher, public education associate at Beyond Pesticides. “We hope that D.C.-area stores will take the same initiative to protect the health of pollinators and their customers.”
A study released in June 2014 revealed that garden retailers are selling “bee-friendly” plants that have been pre-treated with neonicotinoid pesticides shown to harm and kill bees, with no warning to consumers. Ace has said it is “willing to move away from neonicotinoids” and True Value has said it is “looking to” phase out the pesticides in the next three years, but neither retailer has made a firm, time bound commitment to eliminate these pesticides.
Who: Friends of the Earth, Organic Consumers Association, Beyond Pesticides, Center for Food Safety, Green America, Endangered Species Coalition
What: National Swarm to Save Bees. Large events will also occur in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, MN, Dallas, TX, Arlington, TX, Portland, ME, Portland OR, Ashland, OR, and Los Angeles, CA, and Durham, NC
Where: Will start at Logan Hardware at 1734 14th Street NW D.C. and move to True Value at 1623 17th Street NW D.C.
When: November 4, 2015 at 12p.m.
Photo opportunities: Crowds of gardeners, bee-keepers and bee-lovers will gather in front of Ace and True Value holding large signs, letters and be dressed in bee costumes.
More information: Visit foe.org/beeaction or contact Tiffany Finck-Haynes, food futures campaigner at Friends of the Earth, at (202) 222-0715 or [email protected].
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Contact: Kate Colwell, 202-222-0744, [email protected]