A total ban

Dear Editor,
The government of Ontario recently posted a public “consultation” for Environmental Registry (www.ebr.gov.on.ca) Proposal # 010-2248, in which the public now comments directly to their MPPs. This proposal included the following:
1 – We ban non-essential chemical herbicides and pesticides from being applied on peoples gardens and lawns
2 – We allow non-essential chemical herbicides and pesticides to be applied on Golf Courses, under Power lines, and along side Highways and Railways
3 – We allow non-essential chemical herbicides to be sprayed in pristine wilderness area’s of Ontario’s Boreal Forest
Attention has rocketed on the issue of herbicides and pesticides, due to recent activism and outcry from a range of groups and organizations including the David Suzuki Foundation, Canadian Environmental Association (CELA), the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) and the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. However, by proposing to continue allowing the application of chemical herbicides and pesticides on golf courses, under power lines, along railways and highways, and within Ontario’s wilderness areas, there remains a serious endangerment to society. As such, the ban on chemical herbicides and pesticides in municipalities is only the first step in promoting a healthier, safer and environmentally sustainable society.
The problem with herbicides such as 2,4-D and glyphosate (a.k.a. Killex and Roundup), which are currently the most common chemicals being spraying in Ontario’s forests, is that they pose wide ranging and indiscriminate threats to the province’s water supply, the health of all living beings, and especially on endangered species.
While the application of herbicides in the northern region of the province seems distant for most of Ontario’s population, the effects are born by all. The government currently allows multiple chemical herbicides to be sprayed in the same watersheds, without requiring any testing from industry of the health and environmental impacts when these chemicals are mixed. Water filtration plants for large municipalities like Toronto and Ottawa are not effective to remove these chemicals, and the Boreal forest flows into both the Great Lakes and the Ottawa River. In turn, this water is used for drinking, and the growth and cooking of food. There are two types of effects of pesticides in drinking water on humans, depending on its levels of concentration: acute toxicity (immediate effects, caused from short term exposure) and chronic toxicity (resulting from prolonged exposure). Typically, trace amounts of pesticides are found in water supplies, yet our understanding of chronic toxicity is lacking. As the concentration grows and new chemicals are introduced, the presence of pesticides in drinking water are known to lead to cancer, birth defects, kidney damage and in some cases, death.
Ontario’s forests are the home to many endangered and threatened species, including the mountain lion, golden eagle, wolverine, and caribou. The application of chemical herbicides in these wilderness areas contributes to the degradation of daily water and food requirements, and chronic loss of their habitat as well.
Banning the cosmetic and non-essential pesticides in municipalities is a good start, but a false sense of protection for us or the environment. Chemical herbicide and pesticide usage affect the ENTIRE province as a whole as these chemicals transport in the winds, waters, and wildlife. Just as non-chemical alternatives exist to control the unwanted vegetation on your lawn, non-chemical alternatives exist on Golf Courses, in Ontario’s forests, under power lines, and along side highways and railways. Alternatives to chemical herbicides used in forestry programs in Quebec, Scandinavia, and Russia include planting larger seedlings, planting immediately after harvest, and paying locals in remote communities to manually tend to the forest.
This is a serious issue, and I would strongly recommend to all readers to get in touch with their city counsellors and MPPs to ask for a TOTAL province-wide ban on non-essential chemical herbicides and pesticides in Ontario. Protect your health and that of your families.
Yours very truly,
Susanna Kam
University of Ottawa, Law Student
Richmond Hill, ON