The PEI Guardian
Letters to the Editor

Where do our candidates stand?

Editor:
There has been little coverage of the lawn spray issue in the P.E.I. media but Island voters need to know that citizen groups in many cities are demanding an end to the pesticide poisoning of their neighbourhoods.

Nova Scotia gave municipalities the right to pass bylaws regarding pesticide spraying and Halifax is considering implementing a law to end lawn spraying by 2004. Several communities in Quebec have already banned lawn spray poisons.

A major case is before the Supreme Court of Canada to determine whether
municipalities have the right to pass laws to ban lawn pesticides. The pesticide and lawn spray industries have asked for intervenor status. 

A private member's bill introduced by a Liberal MP, calling for a moratorium on the use of pesticides on home lawns, parks, golf courses, etc., will receive second reading this week in the House of Commons. 

And in response to the many people opposed to lawn spraying, the federal Liberals passed a resolution at their annual meeting in February. It reads: "Be it resolved that the Liberal Party of Canada urge the federal government to introduce an immediate moratorium on the cosmetic use of chemical pesticides until such time as their use has been scientifically proven safe and the long-term consequences of their application are known." 

A National Cancer Institute study says children are six times more likely to get childhood leukemia when their lawns are sprayed. The New York State Attorney General says 95 per cent of pesticides used on lawns are classed by the U.S. government as possible or probable carcinogens. 

Pesticide sales on P.E.I. are almost 600 per cent higher now than 16 years ago. Before we go to the polls, we should determine where our candidates stand on this issue.

Sharon Labchuk, Earth Action 

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