February 21, 2005
Awaiting Federal
Herbicide Decision
For Immediate Release
Concerned residents,
scientists, medical professionals and legal experts
across Canada are watching as, after a half century
of use, the re-evaluation of Canada's most popular
weed-killer is being unveiled today by Health
Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).
Citizens are looking for major changes for the
phenoxy herbicides containing 2,4-D. They are calling
for landscaping uses to be curtailed, for combination
fertilizer/herbicide products to be discontinued and
for Canadians to be protected from dioxins
contaminating these chemicals.
A groundswell of medical
opinion and frustration with frivolous use of toxic
chemicals has brought pesticide bylaws to
approximately 70 communities across Canada, including
Montreal, Halifax, Toronto and Vancouver. The entire
province of Quebec is phasing out 2,4-D for
landscaping, and does not allow sales of "weed
and feed" type products. For cosmetic purposes,
Canadians are concluding that they are not interested
in "risk management"; preferring not to
take a risk with their children and pets. 2,4-D is
now ubiquitous in our environment, is regularly
detected in our waterways (including the Don and
Humber Rivers in Toronto, and the Rideau River in
Ottawa), and is found in human blood, urine, semen
and meconium.
It is impossible to evaluate
PMRA decisions, because the studies on which they are
based are submitted by the chemical registrant and
are kept secret. Even the Ontario College of Family
Physicians could not access them, but concluded in
2004 that in the open scientific, peer-reviewed
literature there were strong links between phenoxy
herbicides, and malignancies and reproductive
problems. Under the guise of efficiencies, most
information considered for registration is from US
sources. The drug approval process has recently been
criticized for secrecy and withholding evidence of
harm. The same corporate entities produce pesticides,
but there are no mechanisms in place to address these
shortcomings.
Phenoxy herbicide manufacturing
inevitably forms some dioxins. Even industry
lobbyists admit that when the reactor gets too hot
(conditions favouring dioxin formation) the batch
gets pulled. "Dioxins" is a large group of
chemicals that persist in the environment, and that
may cause cancer, harm neurological development,
impair reproduction and alter immune function. Under
Canada's Environmental Protection Act, Canada is
basically supposed to have zero-tolerance for
chlorinated dioxins. However, there is no monitoring
of contamination of commercial products or of
herbicide-related dioxins in the environment, and in
a letter the PMRA explained that during re-evaluation
only five samples (hand-picked and analyzed by the
industry) were to be examined to re-assure regulatory
authorities that dioxins are not a concern. There was
no independent analysis of off-the-shelf products.
For comment on the PMRA
information, once it becomes public, please contact:
Meg Sears (M.Eng., Ph.D.) CCHE
(Ontario) / CHO (613) 832-2806 or 297-6042
Angela Rickman Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa (613)
241-1839 or 859-5701
Glenda Whiteman CCHE (Manitoba) (204) 229 9613
Rohini Peris CCHE (Québec) (514) 683-5701
Paule Hjertaas CCHE (Saskatechewan) (306) 584-2835
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