Karen Ryan Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment Lynn Skillings Pest Management Regulatory Agency

Presentation Outline §Pesticide Regulatory Responsibilities §History of Urban Pesticide Issues §Action Plan on Urban Use Pesticides v Healthy Lawns Strategy v Access to Reduced Risk Products v Product re-evaluations

Distribution of Responsibilities Federal §Pesticide registration /re-evaluation §Health, Environment, Value §Alternative strategies v Agricultural v Urban Provincial §Transportation, Storage, Disposal §Training, Certification, Licensing Municipal §Bylaws for further conditions on use

History of Urban Pesticide Issues §1991: City of Hudson, Quebec – by-law banning pesticide use §1991–2000: public interest groups campaigning other municipalities to enact by-laws §2000: 33 municipalities enacting or considering enacting by-laws restricting access to pesticides §2000: Federal Parliamentary Committee recommends legislative prohibition and phase out of cosmetic use pesticides §2001: Supreme Court of Canada – municipalities may invoke by-laws affecting pesticides §2003: Province of Quebec enacts law restricting pesticide use §2003: City of Toronto

Action Plan on Urban Use Pesticides §Healthy Lawns Strategy §Registration of New Reduced Risk Products v Expanding on PMRA/EPA Joint Review process §Product re-evaluation v Priority re-evaluation of most common active ingredients used in lawn and turf care

Healthy Lawns Strategy §To reduce reliance on pesticide use for lawn care through: v The application of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles v Emphasis on pest prevention v Application of pesticides only when necessary

Healthy Lawns Working Group §A working group under the Federal /Provincial/ Territorial Committee on Pest Management and Pesticides

Target Groups §Home owners §Lawn and landscape service providers §Municipal parks managers §Groundskeepers of school playing fields §Golf course managers §Vendors of domestic class products

Stakeholders §Golf course & parks managers, service providers (lawn / landscape) §Environmental & health non-governmental organizations §Pesticide manufacturers §Municipalities

Healthy Lawns Elements §Assessment of pesticide product types available to home owners §Improved pesticide product labelling §Harmonized classification of domestic pesticide products

Healthy Lawns Elements §Home owner education on healthy lawn practices §Enhancing knowledge requirements of v Vendors v Service providers §Healthy Lawns Websitewww.healthylawns.netwww.healthylawns.net

Product Types Available to Homeowners §Assess product types for compatibility with IPM principles and approaches §Sub-committee recommendations §Currently working to implement recommendations

Fungicide/Insecticide Formulation Recommendations: §Insect/plant pathogen linkages must be demonstrated §Convenience of use should not be a strong enough argument for this formulation type

Fertilizer/Herbicide and Broadcast Product Recommendations §Improve: v Labelling and container size v Mass advertising to consumer v Product point of sale in stores §Educate consumers: v IPM principles v Differences between preventative versus curative measures v Proper use of broadcast application §Ensure: v Appropriate sizes for ready to use products v Mixing devices give appropriate mixing of concentrate

Product Labelling §Easier for homeowners v To better use labels for informed purchasing v To find, understand and follow label information v Understand and avoid health & environmental risks

Product Labelling §Labelling subcommittee §Recommendations v Mandatory child resistant containers v How to read a label poster/pamphlet v Review and simplification of label text v Mandatory measuring device/system for concentrates v Consumer Labelling Initiative – best practices v Minimum font size

Harmonized Classification System §More consistent regulatory approach to the management of domestic/commercial pesticide products §Establish a second tier of classification for more controlled use by the consumer §Could require sale at licensed vendor outlets with certified, trained staff

Home Owner Education § §Down-loadable Healthy Lawns Key Messages §Communication Strategy v Pocket folders and strategic mail out v Newspaper articles v Seminars for nurseries and Big Box outlets – train the trainer v Weather Network info spots v Partner with Environment Canada – mass media tool kit

Service Providers and Greenspace Managers Training §Enhance IPM training of landscape service providers

Enhanced Domestic (General Use) Vendor Training §Consistent with requirements from the classification exercise §Provincial programs to be updated to new standard

Questions?