Cosmetic pesticides could soon become legal again in Manitoba for some uses.
On March 14 the province introduced amendments to the Environment Act that would allow homeowners to apply Health Canada-approved pesticides in their yards. Municipalities would be permitted to spray pesticides on areas like boulevards, sidewalks, rights-of-way and fairgrounds.
Jeff Wharton, Manitoba’s environment minister, said the province will now rely on the expertise of federal scientists to determine whether pesticides are safe.
“Health Canada approves all cosmetic pesticides used in Canada, which must meet strict health and safety measures,” he said. “The federal government has a robust approval process that assesses the risk of pesticides to human health and the environment, and they have deemed products safe when used appropriately.”
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The amendments will partially reverse Manitoba’s ban on cosmetic pesticides introduced by the former NDP government in 2013. The ban, which became law in 2015, prohibited their use on lawns, gardens, school grounds, playing fields, health-care centres and most green spaces.
As a result, homeowners couldn’t use Roundup and other products to kill dandelions on their lawns.
The NDP said the ban was necessary to protect children’s health.
“Medical experts are clear that synthetic chemical lawn pesticides pose risks to human health, especially in the early stages of life,” said former conservation minister Gord Mackintosh.
The legislation didn’t apply to farms but agriculture groups in Manitoba pushed back, arguing the ban wasn’t based on science in its suggestion that pesticides were a serious health risk to the public.
“MBP (Manitoba Beef Producers) has concerns regarding the artificial distinction being made between so called cosmetic use of pesticides and agricultural use,” MBP said in a 2014 letter.
“We do not believe that products can be considered safe in one environment and toxic in another. It is our view that this distinction between different uses of products sends an unfortunate (and ultimately dangerous) mixed message to the public at large.”
Proposed amendments to the legislation will extend the ban for certain uses, including municipal playgrounds, dog parks, picnic areas and provincial parks. Protections for schools, child-care centres and hospitals would be maintained.
The Association of Manitoba Municipalities supports the proposal. For the last eight years, municipalities have used expensive organic pesticides to control weeds and other pests.
“The (regulation) increased costs tenfold for some municipalities that were forced to use alternative products which proved ineffective,” the AMM said in a release.
The Manitoba Nursery Landscape Association also praised the proposed changes.
“We support the Province of Manitoba’s decision to rely on Health Canada for science-based regulation and information on the products used to protect the health of Manitoba green spaces.”
Contact robert.arnason@producer.com
