Green Party registers complaint with Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency
MEDIA RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2008
Green Party registers complaint with Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency
Millvale - The Green Party of PEI today registered a complaint with the Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency of Health Canada against the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association (CCSPA), a national trade association that represents pesticide manufacturers, for pesticide claims made in an interview with The Guardian.
In the interview Shannon Coombs, president of the CCSPA, claimed, "There are a lot of benefits for using the products, which are safe and effective when used according to the label. All the products are approved by Health Canada - they go through a very strong, scientific, rigorous assessment prior to them being sold." Coombs was on the Island to make a presentation to MLAs considering a ban on cosmetic pesticides.
Green Party leader Sharon Labchuk said under the federal Pesticide Product Control Act it is illegal for pesticide manufacturers to claim their products are safe or approved by Health Canada.
"Health Canada registers pesticide products but it does not approve or endorse them," said Labchuk. "The Act specifically states that manufacturers are not allowed to make claims that their products are safe, green, environmentally friendly or approved by Health Canada. The Health Canada web site states very clearly that pesticides are toxic."
In 2003 Labchuk used the environmental petition process of the federal Auditor General Act to force two multi-national pesticide corporations and two PEI lawn spray companies to stop illegally advertising their products. It was the first time the environmental petition process was used to draw attention to the routine disregard of pesticide advertising legislation by pesticide corporations.
"The pesticide industry has no fear of prosecution because fines are too small to deter them," said Labchuk. "They have an unlimited supply of money to spread industry propaganda and care more about their own financial health than the health of Islanders."
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Contact: Sharon Labchuk 902-621-0719 or 940-1262