What environmentally sound suggestions would you make for ridding the
United States of this killer bee population?

The best solution, if possible, would be to genetically alter the
honey bee so that the queen matures earlier.  The killer bees are
invasive because the killer queens mature quicker than the honey bee
queens and hence displace them in the hive.

However, such a suggestion would have trouble getting past the
environmental nuts even if proven to be safe.

Exactly correct comment. The very first queen to hatch happily kills
the other unhatched larva.  Since the killer queens hatches some hours
earlier than other bee types, they take over since no other queen
survives to maturity. Another type that hatched earlier would thus
soon take over from the killer bees. I am saying the same thing, just
in a different way with a different emphasis.

The problem is the killers produce so much more honey there is not a
great drive to get rid of them. sigh.

Wasn't the reason for Killer Bees related to genetic experimentation
to increase honey production?

Re: Wasn't the reason for Killer Bees related to genetic experimentation
to increase honey production?
 
No, the 'Killer Bee' is a naturally occuring insect that was imported from Africa.