City of Toronto votes 26-13 in favour of pesticide by-law

["Kathleen M. Brosemer" <kathie@cleannorth.org>]

Hurray!!!  Somebody go and post this on cleannorth.org, ok?

May 22, 2003

Globe and Mail Update

Toronto votes against pesticide use

By LUMA MUHTADIE


Representatives of the lawn-care industry stormed out of a Toronto city
council meeting Thursday, after councillors voted 26-13 in
favour of a by-law that restricts the use of pesticides and
herbicides.

"It's been a long and process with a lot of back and forth, but I
think we've reached a fair balance that ensures people won't be using
pesticides if they don't need to," Councillor Brad Duguid, a
proponent of the by-law, told Globeandmail.com.

The use of pesticides will be permitted only to those homeowners who
have a serious infestation problem. This will be determined by a
committee comprised of environmentalists, lawn-care industry
representatives and city employees.

The ban on pesticides will be phased in over three years, beginning with
a public education campaign this year and next, advising people of
pesticide-free alternatives to maintain lawns.

The city will begin issuing warnings for non-compliance in 2005 and by
2006 those receiving a second warning could receive a ticket for $250.

About 45 Canadian cities have already introduced some form of
restriction on the use of pesticides for lawn care.

Halifax was the first major Canadian centre to ban pesticide use on
lawns nearly three years ago.

Following a strident debate between landscapers, who said their
products could be used safely, and environmentalists and doctors, who
maintained the chemicals were causing an increasing number of people to
fall ill, the Halifax Regional Council voted in favour of a ban on
pesticides, to be phased in over four years.

Other smaller Canadian towns, such as Dundas, Ont., and Chelsea and
Hudson, Que., have by-laws banning pesticide use on private property.

Chemlawn and SprayTech, to prominent lawn-care companies, mounted a
legal challenge against the Hudson by-law but the Supreme Court
upheld it, continuing the restrictions on weed and bug killers.

A growing number of municipalities including Ottawa, Waterloo, Ont.,
Toronto and Calgary have also severely reduced the amount of
pesticide they use on public land.

When Toronto adopted an intensive program to reduce chemical spraying on
city land, their pesticide use dropped drastically, Mr. Duguid
said.

More than 30 Quebec municipalities have taken action to try to reduce
the use of chemicals for beautifying lawns.

Quebec approved legislation banning pesticide use on provincial and
municipally owned property, and the same rules are supposed to apply to
homes by 2005. The provincial regulations exempt farms.

Several studies have linked pesticide exposure to increased risks of
leukemia, brain tumours and asthma in children. Researchers have also
been looking at more subtle effects of low-level exposure to
pesticides, such as potential learning disabilities and behavioural
disorders.

In the last federal Speech from the Throne, the Chrétien government
pledged to reintroduce the Pest Control Products Act, which would set
new rules to address the environmental and health risks of pesticides.

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030522.wpest522/BNStory/Na
tional/


--

I awake each morning torn between a desire to save the world, and a desire
to savour the world.  This makes it hard to plan my day.
                           -  E.B. White