Once again, Here is the (lack of) proof we have all been waiting for :
Research from the Canadian Cancer Society links the use of pesticides to various forms of cancer, including childhood and adult leukemia, childhood brain cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, neuroblastoma, brain cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer and some lung cancers.
On top of citing that research, Robinson is also using a petition campaign with more than 400 signatures to back her case.
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Armed with more research, more political experience and more than 400 signatures on a petition, Coquitlam Coun. Selina Robinson is looking to reignite the debate around cosmetic pesticides.
Robinson introduced a notice of motion Monday that would ban the use of cosmetic pesticides to kill weeds, insects or other pests, as well as other chemicals used solely for esthetic purposes. Her motion goes on to suggest that the city's newly established sustainability and environmental advisory committee hammer out the details behind any future bylaw.
"Thirty-four municipalities in our province have already gone down this road," Robinson said Thursday. "This is a perfect opportunity for [the committee] to take a look at what's out there, who's had the best success and what they have done."
Monday's motion comes almost 18 months after Robinson's attempt to hold a public meeting to gauge community sentiment on the matter, a move that was voted down by council.
The issue eventually turned into a letter being sent to Ottawa requesting the federal government "ban all pesticides and other chemicals deemed to be unsafe by federal government scientists."
"I was shocked. I was absolutely stunned," Robinson said of the failed 2009 motion. "I thought I was testing the waters just to get a gauge, but the fact that a community dialogue didn't pass … it was unbelievable."
Robinson's motion notes that on top of the 34 bans in B.C., 171 municipalities across the country have also phased out the use of cosmetic pesticides, including Port Moody.
"A lot of the Metro Vancouver municipalities have already taken that step, so I think that Coquitlam should be in step with them," said Coun. Barrie Lynch, who seconded Robinson's motion and serves as vice-chair of the environment committee.
"There are much more environmentally sensitive ways of dealing with those issues now, so it's not like we're saying you can't take care of your yard."
Research from the Canadian Cancer Society links the use of pesticides to various forms of cancer, including childhood and adult leukemia, childhood brain cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, neuroblastoma, brain cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer and some lung cancers.
On top of citing that research, Robinson is also using a petition campaign with more than 400 signatures to back her case. That campaign was headed up by Coquitlam's Maggie Moss and a handful of other concerned residents. The group got together under the banner of the Coquitlam Pesticide Awareness Coalition, and garnered the 400-plus signatures in less than a year.
"[Public reaction] has been completely positive to our efforts," Moss said Thursday. "I think most people realize that we don't really need to put those products on our lawns just for beautification purposes."
Despite supporting the intent of Robinson's motion, Mayor Richard Stewart said he disagrees with local politicians doing the job of a more senior level of government. He also added that the move should have first gone to the sustainability and environment committee for review before being brought to council for a vote.
"We've made the decision in reverse — we've put the decisions before us to ban it first and then decide what we're banning," he said. "I don't use [cosmetic pesticides] myself; I wish people didn't use them. I wish we could ban their sales, but if we can't ban their sale, there's not much point in pretending to ban their use. We're only pretending."
Robinson's motion will be put to a vote at the March 7 council meeting.
jkurucz@thenownews.com
Read more: http://www.thenownews.com/health/Pesticide+opponents+again/4346268/story.html#ixzz1EzUybA00