The Ontario Pesticides Act - and Regulation 914 under the act - provide a regulatory framework for managing pesticides.
The Ministry of the Environment provides education and training on responsible pesticide use and monitors and enforces compliance. The act also regulates transportation, storage and disposal of pesticides. Licenses are required for selling pesticides, applying them or for operating pesticide applicators. Among the act's requirements:
- persons or businesses selling pesticides must have a vendor’s licence; businesses that offer higher risk pesticides must employ a full-time, certified representative to sell them
- persons who run a pest control company must hold an operator's licence and carry proper insurance
- persons who apply pesticides commercially must be licensed; their assistants must receive basic training on pesticide use
- farmers must hold a grower certificate to purchase and use higher-risk pesticides
- permits are required for the use of the most toxic pesticides and for pesticides applied by aircraft.
The Cosmetic Pesticides Ban has been added as an amendment to the Pesticides Act in April 2009 as part of the Ontario government's plan to reduce public exposure to pesticides. The ban was created to apply to cosmetic use of pesticides to control weeds and insects as this presents an unnecessary risk to small children and pets - especially given the non-toxic alternatives available.
