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Proposed Pesticides Legislation and Next Steps

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If enacted, the Cosmetic Pesticides Ban Act would:

  • Ban the use and sale of pesticides for cosmetic purposes.
  • Make exceptions for agriculture, forestry and golf courses, and for public health or safety issues.
  • Supersede existing municipal pesticide by-laws.

The public is invited to comment on the proposed legislation. Interested individuals can do so by going to the Environmental Registry (#010-3348).

McGuinty Government Proposes Cosmetic Pesticide Ban
Backgrounder: Questions and Answers
Backgrounder: Support For A Cosmetic Pesticide Ban
Backgrounder: Who's Affected
Backgrounder: The Proposed Cosmetic Pesticides Ban Act

"Pesticide Free Ontario is delighted with the swift and decisive action Premier McGuinty's government is taking to protect public health and our environment".

Sari Merson, Pesticide Free Ontario, a coalition of citizens’ groups supporting the elimination of urban pesticides. It called for a province-wide ban on cosmetic pesticides, along with health and environmental organizations such as the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Environmental Law Association, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice, Ontario College of Family Physicians, Ontario Public Health Association, Organic Landscape Alliance, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario and Toronto Public Health.

Next steps

The government has not yet determined which products and/or active ingredients will be included in the ban. If the Cosmetic Pesticides Ban Act is enacted, the list of pesticides/ingredients that would be banned will be determined by the ministry in consultation with Ontarians, and detailed in draft amendments to Regulation 914. The amendments would:

  • List which products would be included in the ban (draft products and ingredients lists are available for discussion)
  • Define the exceptions that would be made for agriculture and forestry
  • Prescribe other excepted uses (for health or safety issues, for example)
  • Set out the prescribed conditions for a golf course to be excepted.