Canada’s farm chemical industry suffered a setback last week when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a Quebec municipality could ban pesticide use on lawns and gardens.
While municipalities and environmentalists applauded the decision, the president of the Crop Protection Institute of Canada condemned it as “political science rather than sound science.”
Lorne Hepworth said that while the decision is a limited and technical one, it will become another weapon in the hands of opponents of chemical use.
He said government regulations already ensure that chemicals approved for use on lawns and farmers’ fields do not expose people and the environment to unacceptable risk.
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“That is the level at which this should be regulated,” he said. “This adds a new layer of regulation and uncertainty. Those out there who oppose us will use this ruling as another way to scare the public.”
Hepworth said that while agriculture is the mainstay of the chemical business, lawn care products are a large and important market.
If other municipalities follow suit and ban pesticides, it will deprive the industry of revenues and make research into new, more environmentally friendly products for the Canadian market more difficult to justify, he said.
Hepworth also suggested this court decision could become a precedent for municipalities to try to regulate other areas traditionally controlled by higher levels of government.
“Because this is a jurisdictional issue, it raises the question of other areas where some municipalities might be tempted to act,” he said. “Will livestock operations be the next target?”
Jack Layton, Toronto councillor and Federation of Canadian Municipalities president, said the court had reaffirmed that local governments do have a right to take action to protect the health of their citizens.
“This is a ground-breaking decision that will have impacts across Canada,” he said.
