Re: Jan. 13 story, Pesticide Bylaw Strangled In Red Tape
Mayor Greg Granstrom’s got the right attitude when it comes to a pesticide bylaw in Rossland.
Rossland residents should know that before any pesticide can be used in Canada, it must first be approved by Health Canada.
This process involves a comprehensive set of over 200 tests and a review of all scientifically credible studies that exist to ensure that the product will not cause harm to people, animals or the environment.
Through this process, pesticides receive a greater breadth of scrutiny than any other regulated product to ensure they will not pose a health risk to current or future generations and only those products that meet Health Canada’s strict health and safety standards are registered for sale and use.
Councillor Laurie Charlton’s push to ban pesticide use in agriculture and forestry just goes to show how little some folks know about the important role pesticides play in ensuring that significant economic sectors have access to safe and effective tools for controlling pests that threaten the harvest of food and other important renewable resources.
The fact of the matter is pesticides — whether they are helping to grow food or keeping urban green spaces healthy — are tools designed to help people and there is no basis in science for banning them.
Canada’s plant science industry welcomes questions about our products and looks forward to future opportunities to set the record straight about the safety of our products and our industry’s commitment to people, public health and the environment.
Lorne Hepworth, president
CropLife Canada
Ottawa