June 14, 2011, Ottawa,
Ont – The Quebec government’s acknowledgement that “products containing 2,4-D
do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment” is an
important admission that Canadians have been misled regarding the safety of
this product. It also acknowledges the important role of Health Canada in
pesticide regulation.
June 14, 2011, Ottawa,
Ont – The Quebec government’s acknowledgement that “products containing 2,4-D
do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment” is an
important admission that Canadians have been misled regarding the safety of
this product. It also acknowledges the important role of Health Canada in
pesticide regulation.
“Our industry has long
said that the decisions by Quebec and other governments to ban the herbicide
2,4-D and other common urban pesticides are not based on scientific evidence
and do nothing to further protect human health or the environment. Now, Quebec
has acknowledged that too,” says Peter MacLeod, vice president, chemistry for
CropLife Canada.
While the agreement
recognizes the rights of governments to implement bans, it reinforces the
principle that when governments make decisions purportedly relating to the
health and safety of the public they should be based on scientific evidence,
predictability and a transparent set of principles, says MacLeod.
The agreement was
reached as part of the settlement of a NAFTA dispute that challenged the Quebec
government's ban on certain uses of 2,4-D as being without scientific basis.
Health Canada concluded in a 2008 review that “risks to homeowners and their
children from contact with treated lawns and turf are not of concern,” and that
“there is reasonable certainty that no harm to human health, future generations
or the environment will result from use or exposure to the product.”
MacLeod says for years
Canadians have been receiving conflicting messaging about the safety of
pesticides that has led to unnecessary fear.
“Hopefully, this
agreement will help Canadians regain confidence in Health Canada’s safety
assessment and cause people to rethink whether or not they support the
political decisions of governments to deprive them of access to these important
tools with no good reason,” says MacLeod.
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