The federal government’s first major attempt in 33 years to modernize
the rules governing pesticide registration and control has been
applauded by consumer, environmental and farm groups, even as some in
the chemical business worry about the implications.
On March 21, health minister Anne McLellan presented Parliament with a
63-page Pest Control Products Act designed to accomplish several things:
- Make public more information about product ingredients and testing.
- Strengthen the regulatory system’s ability to get older chemicals off
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the market in favour of newer, more effective and benign products.
- Pay more attention to the cumulative effects of chemicals on
children, pregnant women and others at higher risk.
- Require the Pest Management Regulatory Agency to review every
pesticide on the market no later than 15 years after it is registered.
Along with agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief, McLellan also promised
an announcement soon on a plan to make minor-use products more
available to Canadian farmers.
“What you are seeing here is a recognition of the importance of health
and safety, the importance of the impact of pesticides on the
environment and a refurbishing of our law as it relates to pesticide
legislation,” McLellan told reporters.
Vanclief said later the amendments will make the pesticide regulation
system more transparent and acceptable to consumers and that is good
for farmers.
Farm representatives were generally positive.
“Fundamentally, we’re in favour of any legislation that will continue
to look after the health of the public,” Canadian Federation of
Agriculture president Bob Friesen said. One CFA criticism is that the
bill should have “stronger language” to ensure that farmers have access
to new products if older, less-acceptable products are taken off the
market.
The Ontario environmental farm coalition Agcare also praised the
legislative update, as long as the government works harder to make sure
farmers have the most up-to-date products available.
“Farmers have been very clear about the need for newer, safer
technologies for protecting farm crops from pest damage and we are
pleased to see the emphasis on access to reduced-risk, safer
alternatives for pest control,” Agcare said March 22.
In Toronto, the business association representing pesticide
manufacturers worried that the proposals for more transparency, tougher
rules and the ability of critics to trigger pesticide reviews could
discourage investment and innovation.
“It is speculation until we see all the details but we are concerned
that when foreign companies look at the new disclosure rules and other
parts of this, Canada may fall down the list as a place to invest,”
said Croplife Canada official Peter Macleod.
“We also think the ability for someone to apply for a review of a
product could lead to delays or some mischief making by people who are
hostile to pesticides.”
Still, the majority reaction was that McLellan had struck a reasonable
balance and it is time to get on with the changes.
McLellan said she hopes to see the bill through the House of Commons
and into the Senate by late June when Parliament adjourns for the
summer.
