WHEREAS The Manitoba Round Table for Sustainable Development recommends that the Province of Manitoba establish a full ban on the sale and use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes to include non-essential, cosmetic use of chemical insecticides, herbicides and fungicides for residential, institutional, and recreational facilities, near water and all urban and rural areas;
AND WHEREAS the regulatory body for pesticides (chemical & nonchemical) in Canada is Health Canada’s Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency, which puts all pesticides through a rigorous scientific assessment process to ensure their safety for Canadians of all ages. Also, a pesticide can only be registered or remain registered in Canada if there is a reasonable certainty that the associated risks pose no harm to human health, future generations, or the environment when used as directed;
AND WHEREAS the study most often quoted with regards to human health and cancer is the Ontario College of Family Physicians report of April 23, 2004 which has been refuted by the scientific community;
AND WHEREAS a number of invasive/noxious weeds in Manitoba have escaped from urban areas and are causing economic losses on agriculture lands, public lands and to Municipalities today. (cont’d page 2)
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A cosmetic pesticide ban would adversely affect municipalties in Manitoba by increasing the cost of noxious weed control required under The Noxious Weeds Act, as urban areas act as a wealthy seed bank to infest surrounding sports fields, parks, native landscapes, agricultural lands and other public property;
AND WHEREAS an increase in weeds would adversely affect municipalities in Manitoba by potentially reducing the assessed value of properties, putting an economic value to something deemed cosmetic;
AND WHEREAS municipal nuisance mosquito control programs using pesticides could be affected, which would result in the loss of nuisance mosquito programs in some communities and affect the enjoyment of residents during the summer;
AND WHEREAS the increase in weed populations will increase the amount of pollen in urban areas, which causes allergies and affects people with asthma, potentially impacting the health care system in the Province;
AND WHEREAS in other Provinces, cross-border importation of pesticides has increased significantly, causing economic losses to the Provincial treasury and the potential use of unregistered pesticides;
BE IT RESOLVED THAT The Rural Municipality of Stuartburn is opposed to the Provincial Government implementing a ban of cosmetic use pesticides in Manitoba.
Carried
http://rmofstuartburnminutes.blogspot.ca/2012/05/may-22-2012-coucil-minutes.html
