MP seeks ban on cosmetic pesticides

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This article was published 22/04/2009 (6041 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — Pesticide companies should have to prove their products are safe before Canadians can use them to douse their dandelions, Manitoba NDP MP Pat Martin said Tuesday.

The Winnipeg Centre MP introduced legislation to ban the cosmetic use of pesticides at homes and recreation centres unless the company producing the product has scientific proof the chemicals are not harmful to our health.

"It shifts the burden of proof to (the chemical companies)," said Martin.

Numerous studies have suggested links between pesticides and cancers, neurological illnesses and immune system damage but Martin acknowledges there is no definitive link.

"It really is difficult for Health Canada to prove this chemical caused this particular cancer," said Martin.

But he said just because something hasn’t been definitively proved unsafe shouldn’t mean it can be used. The company should have to prove it is safe, he says.

Dr. Matthew Seftel, a hematologist/oncologist at CancerCare Manitoba, said it’s true proving direct causation between pesticides and cancer is tenuous. That is partly because there a number of different potential causes for a particular cancer in a particular person, and it is difficult if not impossible to determine if it was exposure to chemicals, diet, smoking or other risk factors.

But he said while that tenuous link might make it difficult to justify removing pesticide use from agricultural uses, where doing so might also jeopardize the food supply, it is far more justified to remove the risk factor for simply cosmetic reasons.

"His proposal bears substance there, even in the absence of powerful evidence (of the link to cancer)," said Seftel.

Martin’s bill would not affect the use of pesticides for agricultural purposes.

The bill was introduced in 2006 but never passed.

It comes as the Canadian government faces a lawsuit from Dow Agrosciences because Quebec has banned the cosmetic use of pesticides. The chemical company is suing Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying there is no scientific basis to impose the ban.

Although the Quebec law is provincial, NAFTA only allows a company to sue the federal government not a province. Ontario is set to enact a similar ban today.

Manitoba does have a ban on cosmetic fertilizers but not on pesticides. A spokesman for the government said the province is monitoring the issue of cosmetic pesticides but there are no immediate plans to enact legislation similar to that in Ontario and Quebec.

"We’d prefer to see a national approach the issue," said Charles McDougall.

Martin said a national approach would be the best way to go.

"We want Canada to stand up and stare down Dow Chemical or any chemical companies," said Martin.

Martin said he hopes he may get support for the bill because of the Liberal leader’s position three years ago on a similar idea.

In May 2006 NDP Leader Jack Layton introduced an opposition motion to ban the cosmetic use of pesticides on residential and commercial properties. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, then a rookie Liberal MP from Toronto, voted in favour of the motion.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca