[Pollinator] Cosmetic Use of Lawn Chems Banned In Ontario

[Jennifer Tsang]

Thanks to Kathy Kellison for forwarding the below:


Subject: Cosmetic Use of Lawn Chems Banned In Ontario
> http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=1351
>
> New Canadian Regulations Prohibit 85 Lawn and Garden Pesticides
> (Beyond Pesticides, March 4, 2009) The Ontario government is set to
announce sweeping 
> new regulations that will prohibit the use of 85 chemical substances,
found in roughly 250 
> lawn and garden products, from use on neighborhood lawns. Once approved,
products 
> containing these chemicals would be barred from sale and use for cosmetic
purposes.
>
> On November 7, 2008, the Ontario government released a proposed new
regulation 
> containing the specifics of the Cosmetic Pesticides Ban Act, passed last
June. Then, 
> Ontario joined Quebec in restricting the sale and cosmetic use of
pesticides but 
> environmental and public health advocates said then that the new law
preempted local 
> by-laws and actually weakens protections in some municipalities with
stronger local 
> protections. There are over 55 municipalities in Canada where the
residential use, but not 
> sale, of pesticides is banned. The prohibition of these 85 substances is
the latest step in 
> this Act. The proposal contains:
>
>  List of pesticides (ingredients in pesticide products) to be banned for
cosmetic use
>  List of pesticide products to be banned for sale
>  List of domestic pesticide products to be restricted for sale.
Restricted sale products 
> include those with cosmetic and non-cosmetic uses (i.e., a product thats
allowed to be 
> used inside the house but not for exterior cosmetic use), and would not
be available self-
> serve.
>
> The 85 chemicals to be prohibited are listed under Proposed Class 9
Pesticides of the 
> Act. Among the 85 pesticides banned for cosmetic use include commonly
used lawn 
> chemicals: 2,4-D (Laters Weed-Stop Lawn Weedkiller), clopyralid,
glyphosate (Roundup 
> Lawn & Weed Control Concentrate), imidacloprid, permethrin (Laters
Multi-Purpose Yard 
> & Garden Insect Control), pyrethrins (Raid Caterpillar & Gypsy Moth
Killer), and triclopyr.
>
> However, golf courses and sports fields remain exempt. The use of
pesticides for public 
> health safety (e.g. mosquito control) is also exempt. The proposed
regulation would also 
> allow for the use of new notice signs to make the public aware when low
risk 
> alternatives to conventional pesticides are used by licensed
exterminators, such as the 
> use of corn gluten meal to suppress weed germination in lawns.
>
> The prohibition, once passed, would likely take effect in mid-April.
Stores would be forced 
> to remove banned products from their shelves or inform customers that the
use of others 
> is restricted to certain purposes. Residents must then dispose of banned
products through 
> municipal hazardous waste collection, and use restricted products for
only prescribed 
> purposes. Errant users would first receive a warning, but fines would
later be introduced. 
> By 2011, stores will be required to limit access to the pesticides,
keeping them locked 
> behind glass or cages and ensuring that customers are aware of
limitations on use before 
> taking them home.
>
> In light on impeding legislation to restrict pesticide use, the Canadian
division of Home 
> Depot announced on April 22, 2008 that it will stop selling traditional
pesticides in its 
> stores across Canada by the end of 2008 and will increase its selection
of environmentally 
> friendly alternatives. Other garden supply and grocery stores have
already stopped 
> selling certain pesticides in Ontario.
>
> This proposed prohibition would have the most impact on 2,4-D, the most
popular and 
> widely used lawn chemical. 2,4-D, which kills broad leaf weeds like
dandelions, is an 
> endocrine disruptor with predicted human health risks ranging from
changes in estrogen 
> and testosterone levels, thyroid problems, prostate cancer and
reproductive 
> abnormalities. A recent petition filed with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and 
> supported by Beyond Pesticides calls for the cancellation of 2,4-D, its
products and its 
> tolerances in the U.S.
>
> Other lawn chemicals like glyphosate (Round-up) and permethrin have also
been linked to 
> serious adverse chronic effects in humans. Imidacloprid, another
pesticide growing in 
> popularity, has been implicated in bee toxicity and the recent Colony
Collapse Disorder 
> (CCD) phenomena. The health effects of the 30 most commonly used lawn
pesticides 
> show that: 14 are probable or possible carcinogens, 15 are linked with
birth defects, 21 
> with reproductive effects, 24 with neurotoxicity, 22 with liver or kidney
damage, and 34 
> are sensitizers and/or irritants.
>
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