Coillte faces pressure over hazardous pesticide

Environmentalists are ramping up pressure on Coillte to end the use of a hazardous pesticide in State forests.

Members of the Woodland League and the Environmental Pillar, a body which represents 28 environmental groups, have begun outlining their arguments for the phasing out of cypermethrin to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the group which grants an eco-label cert to forestry managers.

FSC policy officer Maria Pilar Melero Bravo has been meeting various groups in recent days to discuss their submissions made as part of Coillte’s public consultation on its application for another five-year derogation to use the insect-killing pesticide cypermethrin.