Province to ban cosmetic pesticides TERESA WRIGHT The Guardian
Use of certain dangerous cosmetic pesticides will soon be banned when the province introduces its new Pesticide Control Act during the fall session of the legislature.
The fall session officially opened Thursday with the speech from the throne. It included details of a proposed law to ban a number of lawn pesticides and ensure that others are used by only trained commercial operators under certain conditions.
Environment Minister Richard Brown said this new law will disallow use of the controversial chemical 2,4-D by consumers and landscape companies on lawns. It will be allowed on golf courses, but this will be closely monitored and audited by provincial officers.
“People will compare this law to Ontario’s but in Ontario there’s tons and tons of extensions,” Brown said.
“This law will ban any chemical that has 2,4-D in it – it will be gone from lawns on Prince Edward Island.”
Trained commercial operators will be allowed to use other lawn pesticides, but any workers who apply chemicals will have to complete a special course. They will also be closely monitored by the environment department and will have to let government know every time they use chemicals.
“They’re going to have to be certified. They’re going to have to register what lawns they’re doing and we’re going to be doing audits, and if they abuse that they’ll lose their privileges,” Brown said.
He believes the province is taking the lead in the region with this legislation and believes it will be implemented before New Brunswick implements similar lawn pesticide legislation.
People across the province have been asking for more regulations for chemical pesticide use, and the province is acting on those concerns, Brown said.
“One of the biggest complaints we get in the department is, ‘The guy next door or the person down the street is spraying his lawn and it’s affecting my health, it’s affecting my children’s health and we want it stopped.’ We’ve listened to that.” Brown said.
“There are other processes that can be used out there instead of using 2,4-D and chemicals that will hurt you. It may take a little bit more work to do it, but I believe it’s possible and necessary.”
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vick from PE writes: HAHA now Brown is a Chemist! Not only can he blow up beavers and take PNP money now he is trying to take N.B.'s recent legislation and tell all that HE has introduced it before NB......What a copy-Cat.......Ontario is already looking to lift the ban they put in place because they listen to freaks and not science before passing legistlation that does nothing for peoples health or the environment. All he has done here is keep his brother Philip happy who has been on a ban wagon since before being booted from city hall...and now he wants to run for Mayor LOL!
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AB16 from PE writes: 2,4D is a herbicide not a Pesticide!
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BAN BREATHING! from PEI writes: Ban Breathing then no one will have anything to worry about!
Who listens to anything this Government has to say????? WHO CARES? I'm wayyyyyy past caring! Everday I pick up the Paper there is another INANE STATEMENT or STORY from a Government Member!
(BAN) the new Household Word IN HOMES ACROSS PEI !!! Islanders should all relocate to IRAN OR IRAQ I heard the US has Actually brought DEMOCRACY to those Nations !!!!!!
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Let's Go Green from pei writes: I'm really hoping that the ban will be broader than the article suggests. 2 4 D is certainly a highly toxic chemical but herbicides in use contain other noxious chemicals too. See for example:
http://forums.lymphoma.com/showthread.php?p=13834
Also, carbamates are generally used to control cinch bugs and these are carcinogenic as well as causing numerous other illnesses.
The ban should cover all cosmetic pesticides now in use. This is a golden opportunity for the lawn spraying companies to get their act together and employ green alternatives. There's a market there and a good living to be had.
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Dan from Ontario writes: To all knowledgeable AB16: For your information 2,4D is a herbicide and a pesticide both. Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, algaecides etc. are all classes of pesticides. However you are not alone in your ignorance. Most of the people on the anti pesticide band wagon have no idea about what they are talking about either.
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Mr Cranky from Chtown, PE writes: Fine, then I'll buy them off-island or get them from Ebay. If it wasn't for banning everything, these guys would have nothing to do.
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Mr. Cranky Over the Bridge from PEI writes: Could you let me know when your going across or getting your order on Ebay, I can give you my list and help pay for gas and shipping!
Go Figure? With all the chemicals used in every product made around the world, Plastic the most Toxic and Abundant in all, the $ hit, gas, oil, sewage, garbage carpeting and filtrating our Waterways and Our Government is concerned about chemicals used on Lawns!!!!!
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observer from pei writes: To all the bright lights on here who want to keep dumping poison, pesticide or herbicide, onto their lawns and gardens, have you ever considered where your water comes from on the Island? Have you ever wondered what might happen as the farm and cosmetic treatments build up in the system? No? Well stick around. Your ignorance will be no protection when the water sources are all fouled. And as for science giving us the truth on this matter...as if.
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greener than grass from pei writes: Let's see....clean water or weed free grass? Which do you pick?
As a matter of fact why not plant those acres of useless lawns with something good for you and for the environment? That way you can save dollars on gas and the atmosphere at the same time.
Oh but wait, those kinds of decisions would require some foresight....never gonna happen on the Island
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AB16 from PE writes: What is 2,4-D?
This highly selective herbicide is toxic to broad leafed plants but less harmful to grasses(1). One of the hormone weedkillers, 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid) is an aryloxyalkanoic acid known also as a 'phenoxy herbicide', which includes MCPA, mecoprop, triclopyr and 2,4,5-T. These chemicals have complex mechanisms of action against weeds, resembling those of auxins (growth hormones). Once absorbed 2,4-D is translocated within the plant and accumulates at the growing points of roots and shoots where it inhibits growth.
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K. Jean Cottam, PhD from Ottawa, Ontario writes: So only freaks are against pesticides! Pesticides are God's gift to the creation. Thus we should all eat them for breakfast. Moses came down from on high and said: Though shall eat pesticides or else you shall roast in hell. Anyone who suggests that pesticides are wonderful and perfectly safe is either mentally retarded or has monetary interest in saying so. It is absolutely UNTRUE that Ontario is thinking of lifting the ban. This is wishful thinking on the part of those who are unscrupulously self-interested in promoting pesticides--toxic poisons that especially sicken young children.
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K. Jean Cottam from PhD, Ottawa writes: True, the word pesticides is generic and covers all the cides . It is a common error to confuse pesticides with insecticides . They are not equivalent. The first is generic, as already pointed out, the second is a specific category. Thus 2,4-D is both a herbicide and pesticide. However, this is an error usually made by people with a lack of proper knowledge of pesticides and those who misrepresent and idealize them, rather than vice versa. Those who are truly knowledgeable about pesticides and acknowledge that they are highly toxic poisons are unlikely to make this kind of error.
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K. Jean Cottam, PhD from Ottawa, Ontario writes: I am honorary Canadian observer on the U.S. Pesticide Working Group. Vick from PE is obviously very poorly informed about pesticides. The Ontario government has absolutely no intention to lift our ban. It is not true that the legislation does nothing for people's health and environment. This is shameful, misleading industry propaganda. As to freaks, the shoe is obviously on the other foot. To promote pesticides as safe one has to be either hopelessly ignorant or self-interested or both. 2,4-D is both herbicide and pesticide which is general category covering all the cides .
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K. Jean Cottam, PhD from Ottawa, Ontario writes: Moderator: Please note my corrected data. For some unexplained reason, incorrect data are being substituted for the correct ones.
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K. Jean Cottam, PhD from Ottawa, Ontario writes: For some strange reason, when trying to post a comment, I am experiencing an involuntary shift in personal details: my PhD moves into City/Town, and City/Town moves into Province space. As a result of the above, my email address becomes Ontario .
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K. Jean Cottam from Ottawa, Ontario writes: Dan from Ontario is right that herbicides are pesticides, similarly to all of the other cides . However, he is wrong to suggest that pesticide promoters are not to blame. It is namely those with a vested interest to promote pesticides that are likely to use the incorrect terminology.
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Let's Go Green from pei writes: Jean Cottam - thank goodness for your refreshingly thoughtful and informative remarks. Most of the rest of the postings on this news item are ridiculous and written from a position of ignorance. Dan from Ontario offers an especially insulting and ill-informed thought that people on what he refers to as an anti pesticide bandwagon have no idea what they are talking about. Hello, Danny Boy. Like Jean, I have a Ph.D. in the life sciences and I am persuaded that there is overwhelming evidence that many of the chemical pesticides/ herbicides now in use are injurious to human health. Hide your head in the sand all you wish but society is moving away from your outdated ideology. As for AB16, I don't know what to say except that he/ she is trying to impress everyone with his/ her biochemical knowledge. 24D and mecocrop may indeed have complex modes of action against the targeted broad leaves but it's their side effects that are worrisome. You don't have to be a plant to experience them.
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A bit behind the times from Charlottetown, PEI writes: Don't mind us, we on the gentle Island are sometimes a bit behind on the environment.
Just check out our regularly poisoned estuaries (fish kill is big here) and our annually poisoned fields (haven't figured out what to do with the bio-mass though others seem to have done so.)
The agri-biz lobby swings big weight in cabinet so you can be certain any new law won't hurt them -- and note the exemption for golf courses.
That leaves the residential whiners although I'd expect most people have started to realize the implications of 'chemical' lawns and are looking for better solutions.
And the sooner the better before our 'natural' reputation goes out the window.
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K. Jean Cottam from Ottawa, Ontario writes: Let's Go Green from PEI mentions herbicide dicamba. We should bear in mind that usually herbicide 2,4-D is applied to lawns together with mecoprop and dicamba. This is called PAR III. PAR III as such is not tested, even though similar combinations are known to have a synergistic (magnifying) effect. Only the active portion of each component herbicide is tested. However, the so-called inert portion of each herbicide, which consists of several chemicals, constitutes up to 99% of the ready to apply product and this alleged inertness is now being questioned. To sum up, herbicides are NOT TESTED sufficiently thoroughly and vital information is being withheld by the pesticide industry.
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