Stratford woman renews cosmetic pesticide fight

A Stratford resident is lobbying her community to adopt a more stringent ban on cosmetic pesticides, but she's run into an unexpected roadblock.

Three years ago the province legislated a ban, but Maureen Kerr does not believe the law goes far enough because it only includes one chemical component: 2,4-D. She'd like to see Stratford introduce more broad-based rules, but she's discovered under that provincial legislation municipalities don't have that authority.

"I was just shocked that we couldn't do what a number of other municipalities and entire provinces have done, which is ban cosmetic pesticides," said Kerr.

"It took five years to pass that legislation to have the one chemical banned. It seems really bizarre to me, the whole thing."

Stratford Mayor David Dunphy said he would like to see the province change the legislation so municipalities can bring in their own pesticide bans.

The industry group that represents pesticide manufacturers says Health Canada, through an agency known as the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, approves all pesticides used in the country and that when used properly they don't pose a health risk.

For mobile device users: Do P.E.I.'s laws controlling cosmetic pesticides go far enough?