The recently released special committee on cosmetic pesticides report is a slap in the face to the majority of British Columbians.
More than 70 per cent of British Columbians support a provincial ban on cosmetic pesticides to protect children from unnecessary cosmetic pesticide use on lawns, parks and playing fields.
With appalling shortsightedness and lack of concern for public health, the committee has ignored scientific and medical studies linking chemical pesticide exposure to serious illness, particularly leukemia, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, various cancers, birth defects, fertility problems, neurological disease, and learning disabilities.
Instead, the committee recommends very weak restrictions allowing “licensed” applicators to continue to spray and allow invisible chemical toxins to infiltrate our air, water, and soil.
According to this report, British Columbians do not deserve the same health protection as six other Canadian provinces amounting to over twenty million people.
Premier Clark committed to legislating a ban before she was elected in her purported “families first” campaign.
Hopefully Premier Clark’s cabinet has the common sense to see through this biased report and correctly respond to overwhelming public support, where British Columbians and the Union of BC Municipalities are asking the province to protect the health of our children, pets and planet.
Ten years from now, this report will be considered backward and arrogant in its response to the demands of the B.C. public who have asked for a strong cosmetic pesticide legislation in record numbers.
Mel Tomiyama, Surrey