Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan
Regina city committee no longer calls for cosmetic pesticide ban
Posted: Jun 4, 2012 1:12 PM CST
Last Updated: Jun 4, 2012 1:10 PM CST
A committee that advises Regina City Council on the environment has cooled on the idea of a city-wide cosmetic pesticide ban.
The Environment Advisory Committee meets Thursday to discuss what they should recommend to city council.
"Cosmetic pesticides" is the term used to describe non-essential lawn chemicals used for aesthetic purposes. Environmental groups argue they are harmful to the environment and have been linked to cancer.
Earlier this year, the committee was looking at calling for a bylaw that would ban such pesticides.
But when it meets again later this week, the committee will be asked to look at a new set of proposed recommendations.
According to city hall documents, the proposal for a city-wide ban has been dropped.
The committee says it heard from business people worried about how the ban might affect the local lawn-care industry.
Others argued that a cosmetic pesticide bylaw would be too difficult to enforce or would be an infringement on people's personal choice.
"In light of the information, the presentations, and strong public and stakeholder feeling, the committee does not feel it appropriate to recommend that the city adopt a bylaw restricting the cosmetic or non-essential use of pesticides," a report to the Environment Committee says.
Instead of a city-wide ban, the committee wants the city of Regina to adopt a police of avoiding cosmetic pesticide use on it owns lands.
It says the city should "encourage" residents not to use cosmetic pesticides on their own lawns.
via Regina city committee no longer calls for cosmetic pesticide ban – Saskatchewan – CBC News.