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Toronto Pesticide Bylaw: Ensuring Health and Sustainability

Learn about the genesis and effectiveness of Toronto's Pesticide Bylaw, its impact on public health, environment, and compliance. Discover how reducing pesticide use promotes safer practices and ecological balance.

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Toronto Pesticide Bylaw: Ensuring Health and Sustainability

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  1. Keeping Toronto Healthy Municipal Pesticide Bylaws in Canada: Their Genesis and Effectiveness Rich Whate August 22, 2007

  2. Background • Pesticide Regulation in Canada • National: Health Canada Pest Mgmt Regulatory Agency • Product approval, labeling, testing, trade issues • Provincial: (e.g. Ontario Ministry of the Environment) • Sales & marketing, commercial licences • Municipal: • Use

  3. Background A brief history of pesticide bylaws

  4. The Bylaw • Toronto Pesticide Bylaw • (Municipal Code 612) • Came into effect April 1, 2004 • Restricts outdoor use of pesticides on all public and private property • Some permitted uses (e.g. health hazard, infestation, disinfection) and exempted products

  5. The Bylaw • Public education • Residents, lawn care & landscaping companies, commercial properties • Website, telephone helpline, written material, in-store information, advertising, community partnerships • Partnership with professional sector • Enforcement • By Public Health Inspectors accredited in Integrated Pest Management / Plant Health Care • Investigations triggered by complaints and proactive surveillance

  6. Why Restrict Pesticides? Health effects • Research suggests associations between pesticide exposure and reproductive effects, neurological effects and certain cancers. • Pregnant women, infants, young children, seniors and those with lowered immune system functioning are at a higher risk for long term health effects.

  7. Health effects (cont’d) • Ontario College of Family Physicians (2004) • Positive associations between pesticide exposure and solid tumours, including cancers of the brain, prostrate, kidney and pancreas • Links to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia • Strong associations with nervous system effects • Work exposure among parents can result in increased health risk, including kidney and brain cancers, in their children • Recommended reducing pesticide exposure by: • Passing municipal bylaws to restrict pesticide use • Using alternative methods • Proper use of personal protective equipment • Education on safe handling of pesticides • Physician screening for patients and data collection

  8. Ecological effects • Pesticides can be carried away from lawns and gardens into the air, soil, groundwater and surface waters. • Pesticides can kill useful soil bacteria, earthworms, snails, frogs, birds, fish, honeybees and other valuable species.

  9. Is Toronto’s Bylaw Working?

  10. Interim Evaluation of Toronto’s Pesticide Bylaw • Fewer people report using pesticides in Toronto Source: RRFSS 2003-2005.

  11. Interim Evaluation of Toronto’s Pesticide Bylaw • Reported use of natural alternatives is increasing Source: RRFSS 2003-2005.

  12. Interim Evaluation of Toronto’s Pesticide Bylaw • Comparison to another community Source: RRFSS 2003-2005.

  13. Interim Evaluation of Toronto’s Pesticide Bylaw • The Public Continues to Rely on Lawn Care Companies Source: Statistics Canada. Canadian Business Patterns 2001-2006

  14. Interim Evaluation of Toronto’s Pesticide Bylaw • Bylaw Awareness is High • About 70 % of residents with a lawn know about the bylaw • Bylaw Compliance is High. • Complaints have decreased from year to year • In 2006 there were no repeat offences = no charges

  15. Interim Evaluation of Toronto’s Pesticide Bylaw • Conclusions of evaluation: • Early successes: • a downward trend in use of pesticides • an increase in use of alternatives • lawn care sector is complying with the bylaw • More work is needed: • Target residents to achieve further reductions (25% still report using pesticides)

  16. The future? • The trend will continue and broaden… • Quebec Pesticide Code further restricted sales • Health Canada – consulting on changes to federal laws that would make provincial restrictions easier • Norms changing • Industry changing

  17. Keeping Toronto Healthy Rich Whate Environmental Protection Office 416-338-8100 rwhate@toronto.ca

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