OPHA RESOLUTION ON THE
NON-ESSENTIAL USE OF
CHEMICAL PESTICIDES ON
PUBLIC & PRIVATE LANDS
Presented to alPHa - Feb 1/02
by: Helen Doyle, representing the
OPHA Environmental Health WG
OPHA Resolution

Resolutions
 Whereas’
 Legislation
 Municipal
Jurisdiction
 Pesticide Reduction
Initiatives


Fed/Prov/Municipal
Industry

Background Possible Health
Effects
 Precautionary
Principle
 Public Health Role?
 Implementation Plan
‘..therefore be it resolved,
that the OPHA..’
 urge
Ontario municipalities to restrict
the non-essential use of chemical
pesticides on public and private lands
 urge
the 3 levels of government to work
together to:
strengthen legislation governing pesticide
use,
 reduce the non-essential use of pesticides,
 educate the public about the health effects
and alternatives to chemical pesticides, &
 promote IPM Strategies

 Advocate
to the MOHLTC for adequate
resources for HU’s to:
 act
as a resource to municipalities on
pesticide reduction initiatives
 educate the public about the health effects
of pesticides (as per MHPSG)
•request to meet with the appropriate
government agencies to express our concern
on this matter, and to request their support to
take action to restrict the non-essential use of
pesticides
•collaborate and network with other health
and environmental organizations that
support restricting the non-essential use of
pesticides
also, be it resolved that,
•this resolution be forwarded to the
Ont. and Fed. Ministers of Health,
the Minister of the Environment,
FCM, AMO & HU’s and boards of
health
Background - ‘WHEREAS..’
 #1
priority in pest management protection of human health esp.
vulnerable populations
 associations between certain pesticides
and human health effects
 limitations of research re: impact of
pesticide exposure on health
…whereas,
 Absence
of conclusive evidence to
prove causal relationship, but reason to
believe potential harm…
 Precautionary
Principle
 HPPA - health hazard?
..whereas,
 PMRA has
taken initiatives to reduce
urban pesticide use:
 Healthy
Lawn Strategy
reduce reliance on pesticides
 use IPM - pest prevention, reduced risk
products, pesticide use as a last resort!
 Priority re-evaluations - applying current risk
assessment principles e.g. safety factors to
protect children

..whereas,
 Of
the 7000 pesticides approved for use
in Canada, many have not been reevaluated to account for current risk
assessment standards & vulnerability of
children
 alternative,
non-toxic methods of pest
prevention exist (e.g. IPM?)
..whereas,
 Certain
pesticides persist in the
environment and migrate beyond the
application area
 decision of Supreme Court of Canada in
Hudson, Quebec case..powers of
municipal governments to restrict the
use of non-essential pesticides
Possible Health Effects
 Literature
search/limitations
 toxicological & epidemiological studies
 cancer studies (occupational/childhood)
 developmental & reproductive studies
 acute & chronic health effects
 neurotoxic & immune system effects
 endocrine disruption
Legislation
 Pest
Control Products Act (PMRA)
 manufacture,
importation & registration of
pesticide products in Canada
 reviews health & environmental
assessments on new pesticide products
 Pesticides Act
 sale,
(MOE)
handling & use of pesticides
 licensing of operators & applicators
Municipal Jurisdiction?
 By-laws
to regulate the use of
pesticides on private property?
 Interpretation of Supreme Court
decision in Quebec? Quebec Cities &
Towns Act = Ontario Municipal Act?
 Authority on ‘lands owned by
municipality’- policy
Pesticide Reduction Initiatives
 Fed/Prov/Terr:
Action Plan for Urban Use Pesticides Healthy Lawn Strategy
 Fed
Dept Pest Mngt. Programs:
 DND
- commitment to 50% reduction, IPM
& naturalization
 Public Works - IPM plans for Crown-owned
lands
 Parks Canada - IPM Directive
Municipal Initiatives
 York
Region - draft Pesticide Reduction
Guidelines/IPM
 City of Toronto- IPHC; Public
Consultations
 City of Ottawa- Interim IPM Policy
 City of Waterloo- PHCP
The Lawn Care Industry
 Landscape
Ontario
 Training & Certification
 Ridgetown
College/MOE
 IPM Accreditation
 Organic
Landscape Alliance
Precautionary Principle
 CEPA
 ‘where
there are threats of serious or
irreversible damage, lack of full scientific
certainty shall not be used as a reason for’
.. inaction
 Environment
 registration
Canada
“if accepted it must be safe for
use, with the restrictions of current
scientific knowledge”
Precaution cont’
 Health
Canada
 Discussion
Paper on A Canadian
Perspective on the Precautionary
Approach/Principle
 “Canada has a history of implementing the
precautionary approach in science-based
programs of health & safety, ..”
Precautions
 Environment
 “pesticides
Canada Fact Sheet
are poisons, otherwise they
wouldn’t kill”
 “consider using non-chemical methods of
control”
 “pesticides are toxic to many forms of life in
addition to the species to be controlled”
 “ultimately some side effects may extend to
human life as well”
 “..benefits must be weighed against the
side effects”
Public Health Role?
 MHPSG-Health
Hazard Investigation
 Goal:
“to prevent or reduce adverse health
outcomes resulting from exposure to health
hazards”
 HPPA:
“reasonable & probable grounds
that a health hazard exists”
 Precautionary Principle: suggestive
evidence/associations but absence of
scientific certainty
Implementation Plan for
OPHA Resolution
 Distribute
to govt’ and health
organizations
 collaborate with other health &
environmental agencies
 monitor progress of pesticide reduction
initiatives by govt’ and non-govt’
agencies