[Sust-mar] URGENT: HELP GET A PROVINCE-WIDE PESTICIDE BAN IN NS (with no holes in it)

[Helen Jones]

URGENT:

 

The government of Nova Scotia is right now looking at legislation to
regulate cosmetic pesticides*  UNFORTUNATELY, THE GOVERNMENT IS CONSIDERING
NEW BRUNSWICK'S LEGISLATION THAT PERMITS THE LANDSCAPERS TO CONTINUE USING
PESTICIDES AS USUAL UNDER THE GUISE OF INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM).
Despite its original intention, IPM relies heavily on pesticides.  Under
IPM, the use of pesticides has actually increased in some communities
instead of decreasing (some say IPM stands for "Improved Pesticide
Marketing").

We have only a short time to obtain an effective provincial cosmetic
pesticide ban that avoids these key pitfalls in the New Brunswick
legislation.

Please write or phone your MLA and/or call the Premier's Office at
902-424-6600
http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/MEMBERS/directory/constituencies.html  

http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/MEMBERS/directory/alpha.html 

 

TELL THEM YOU WANT A PROVINCIAL PESTICIDE BAN THAT -


>  Prohibits the sale and use of retail pesticide products (like Ontario)
>  Includes the commercial sprayers in the prohibition. Failing to do this
would continue to expose children and their families to pesticides and would
be extremely difficult to reverse 
>  Guarantees the right of ALL Nova Scotia municipalities to make stronger
pesticide laws (like Quebec has done), by making the revisions to the
Municipal Government Act that were unanimously requested by the Union of NS
Municipalities.
>  Explicitly includes all three property types: municipal, residential and
commercial, and 
>  Makes no reference to IPM for landscape maintenance in the legislation.

*A cosmetic pesticide is any herbicide, insecticide, or fungicide used for
aesthetic landscape maintenance, and does not include pesticides used in
agriculture or forestry.

PLEASE HELP BY ENDORSING THE POSITION OF PESTICIDE FREE NOVA SCOTIA.  SEND A
MESSAGE SUCH AS THE ONE BELOW.  

FEEL FREE TO INCLUDE ANY OF THE POINTS ABOVE AS WELL.

 

Thank you,

Helen Jones for

Real Alternatives to Toxins in the Environment (RATE)


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



 

Dear Premier Dexter and the Honourable Ministers for Environment and
Municipal Affairs: 
Please cc to all NDP MLA's

I endorse the call for a province-wide ban on the sale and use of cosmetic
pesticides in Nova Scotia, as outlined by Pesticide Free Nova Scotia (for
more details see

http://www.ecologyaction.ca/content/publications-0  )

Legislation banning the use of landscape pesticides and removing these
pesticides from store shelves throughout the province will protect the
health of all citizens and our environment.  Nova Scotia's legislation
should be similar to or stronger than the protective legislation on cosmetic
pesticides passed in Ontario and Quebec.  Please do not rely on Integrated
Pest Management to do this.

I also endorse the position of Pesticide Free Nova Scotia that such
legislation should permit municipalities to pass their own, complementary,
pesticide by laws, and should include provision for public education about
non-chemical alternatives, as well as effective enforcement mechanisms. 

Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

Name


Address


Date



Honourable Darrell Dexter, Premier  premier at gov.ns.ca
Office of the Premier
7th Floor, One Government Place
1700 Granville Street
P.O. Box 726
Halifax, Nova Scotia  B3J 2T3

Honourable Sterling Belliveau  min_env at gov.ns.ca
Department of Environment
5th Floor, Terminal Road
5151 Terminal Road
P.O. Box 442
Halifax, Nova Scotia  B3J 2P8

Honourable Ramona Jennex  snsmrmin at gov.ns.ca 
Department of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
14th Floor North, Maritime Centre
1505 Barrington Street
P.O. Box 216
Halifax, Nova Scotia  B3J 2M4