Rural Ontario has an undue…

Rural Ontario has an undue burden of pesticide exposure. This will be made worse with the proposed changes. Federal and provincial guidelines as regards exposure to pesticides are too lenient. Removing the provincial oversight of chemicals also removes a sober second thought from federal guidelines, which really are nothing more than the producers opinion already. More oversight is necessary, with a harder look at the effects the chemicals are having on the environment and human health.

These new proposals appear to green-light unknown chemicals with little or no research to long term effects. New medications that might actually improve human health find no such lightning fast process as what the province is proposing with pesticides.

Hundreds of residents of my community have repeatedly petitioned the OLA to make different changes to the act, most notably returning the right of a municipality to determine if pesticides will be used within it's borders. Municipalities must have the right to say no to anyone, including government agencies or utilities.

While the province is looking at the classification system, chemicals like glyphosate, triclopyr, and neonicotinoids must be made illegal immediately.

The proposed legislation and associated regulatory changes should be expected and proven to have positive impacts on human health and the environment. Anything less is unacceptable.