Pesticides Reduction
Update
Recommendation:
That the April 30, 2007, Asset
Management and Public Works
Department report 2007PW9677 be
received for information.
Report Summary
This report summarizes
Administration’s activities as they
pertain to pesticides reduction and/or
awareness initiatives.
Previous Council/Committee Action
At the February 27, 2007,
Transportation and Public Works
Committee meeting, the following
motion was passed:
That Administration provide the
following information report to the
May 15, 2007, Transportation and
Public Works Committee meeting on
pesticides use, outlining:
1. representation that could be
made to Alberta Minister of
Environment and Health Canada;
2. issues related to pesticides for
Edmonton water purification and
water treatment;
3. additional educational initiatives
that could be undertaken by the
City and/or the City in conjunction
with other entities.
Report
Representation That Could be Made to
Alberta Minister of Environment and
Health Canada
 The City of Edmonton recognizes
that domestic use of fertilizer and

herbicide combination products are
the most commonly purchased and
misused lawn care products. To that
end, a joint Edmonton/Calgary
AUMA resolution to urge the
Government of Alberta to impose a
provincial sales restriction of
domestic fertilizer-herbicide
combination products (Attachment 1)
was developed.
At the 2006 AUMA Convention, the
proposed Domestic Fertilizer
Herbicide Combination Products
Sales Restriction resolution was
defeated. An alternative approach
through the Alberta Association of
Municipal Districts and Counties
(AAMD&C’s) is currently being
explored. Administration also meets
on a regular basis with Alberta
Environment on the provincial
monitoring program and their
contacts with the federal Healthy
Lawns initiative.
Issues Related to Pesticides for
Edmonton Water Purification and Water
Treatment
 Pesticide concentrations in the North
Saskatchewan River upstream of
Edmonton are very low, with
occasional detection.
 During spring melt and summer rains
when majority of pesticides are
expected to wash off, EPCOR water
uses activated carbon to remove
colour, which has the added benefit
of removing pesticides. Therefore,
pesticides are not an issue for
drinking water treatment.
 It is evident that City of Edmonton
residents are using pesticides, since
they are detected in surface water in
our stormwater management lakes,
in storm outfalls and diluted in the
river downstream of Edmonton.
PAGE
ROUTING –Transportation and Public Works Committee | W. D. Burn/L. Brenneis/D. Kirchner
WRITTEN BY – D. Kirchner| April 30, 2007 – Asset Management and Public Works Department 2007PW9677
Page 1 of 2
E
6
Pesticides Reduction Update


Pesticides have also been detected
in Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment
Plant and Capital Region
Wastewater Treatment Plant
effluents. Wastewater treatment
processes are not designed to
remove pesticides and no data is
available on treatment plant
performance.
Pollution prevention is needed to
keep pesticides out of the North
Saskatchewan River, through a
public education program.
Additional Educational Initiatives That
Could be Undertaken by the City and/or
the City in Conjunction with Other
Entities
 Recently, the City of Edmonton
formed a partnership with the County
of Strathcona for the “Good Growing
Edmonton” public education
campaign on pesticide reduction.
The partnership includes permission
for the County of Strathcona to use
existing “Good Growing Edmonton”
public education messages, radio
and printed advertising, and
brochure and display artwork. As a
commitment to a true partnership,
the County of Strathcona will provide
funding and support for Edmonton’s
public education campaign.
 The City’s public education
implementation strategy for reduced
pesticides use in Edmonton
identified four target audiences
including: (1) residential
homeowners, (2) schools, teachers,
students and parent advisory
councils, (3) consumers at the point
of purchase, and (4) media. To date,
activities have been focused on
audiences 1, 3 and 4. Future
educational opportunities anticipate
partnering with Edmonton Public and
Page 2 of 2
Catholic schools to provide
information to students on pesticides
and alternatives to their use.
Background Information Attached
1. Domestic Fertilizer Herbicide
Combination Products Sales
Restriction
Attachment 1
Domestic Fertilizer Herbicide Combination Products Sales Restriction
AUMA 2006.C,iv.1 – City of Edmonton and Calgary
WHEREAS fertilizer and herbicide combination products are the most commonly purchased and
misused lawn care product by the public; and
WHEREAS municipal governments and the landscape industry are committed to environmental
protection and continual improvement with regard to pesticide best management practices; and
WHEREAS municipalities have the right to restrict the use of specific product types through
bylaw enforcement, this type of measure will be less effective and more costly than the
implementation of a provincial sales restriction; and
WHEREAS Alberta Environment has the authority to restrict the sale of domestic fertilizer
herbicide combination types; and
WHEREAS Alberta Environment has indicated that an AUMA resolution in this regard is the
necessary precursor to the initiation of a consultation process regarding a provincial sales
restriction of domestic fertilizer herbicide combination products;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association
request the Province of Alberta to impose a provincial sales restriction on domestic
fertilizer-herbicide combination products for use by homeowners within municipalities by
completing all the requirements necessary to support this action, including consultation
with stakeholders.
BACKGROUND (submitted by the City of Edmonton)
Fertilizer herbicide combination products are incompatible with the principles of integrated pest
management utilized in Alberta municipalities. The nature of these products does not allow spot
spraying but rather necessitates broadcast application of the herbicide resulting in overuse of
the herbicide component.
Provincial statistics suggest that homeowner purchases of fertilizer-herbicide combination
products are concentrated in mid-May when spring fertilizers are required but this is frequently
prior to weed emergence. The result is that herbicides are being applied prior to weed problems
and instead only accumulate in the environment within the soil.
Domestic turf herbicide sales data compiled by Alberta Environment indicate that 55.6% of all
pesticide products purchased by the public in Edmonton in 1998 were the fertilizer and herbicide
combination products. Similarly, in 2003, 59% of all turf herbicides purchased by the public in
Edmonton were the fertilizer and herbicide combination products.
The Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association (LANTA) and the Alberta Recreation and
Parks Association (ARPA) support the creation of a provincial sales restriction for domestically
labeled fertilizer-herbicide combination products.
Calgary City Council has submitted a resolution which supports the initiation of a
process to create a provincial sales restriction on domestically available fertilizerherbicide combination products.
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Report: 2007PW9677 Attachment 1