Green by law

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by Noemi Lopinto

Marlene Jennings, MP for NDG-Lachine, in coalition with Canadians Against Pesticides and Citizens for Alternatives to Pesticides (CAP) are pushing Parliament to pass Bill C-267, which would ban "the non-essential (cosmetic) use of pesticides." It is hoped that the bill, put forward on February 14, will be accepted by Earth Day on April 22.

Pierric le Dorze, assistant to Marlene Jennings, says they have received broad support from across Canada. "We hope that mounting political pressure might convince the government to make it a federal bill," says le Dorze. The bill calls for a Canada-wide ban on the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers for lawn care, tree and garden maintenance from parks, daycares, schools, community centres, playgrounds, schools, public and residential areas.

Opponents of the bill, such as the Industry Task Force on 2,4D--a widely used chlorinated herbicide--wrote Jennings to express their consternation: "As representatives of the makers of 2,4D we are concerned by sweeping generalizations in C-267 that may associate 2,4D with certain human health effects. C-267 impugns our product without scientific evidence... which has been reviewed by all experts as non-teratagenic, non-carcinogenic, non-mutagenic."

Le Dorze says they are not overly concerned: "We have our own data, we are more worried that the ban may be illegal under NAFTA. What we are trying to do right now is build support."