Fwded by AEHA-Ottawa - Bill 64, Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act 2008 - support needed

[Guest guest]

reposted from AEHA

We need your help! Please _contact your local MPP_

(http://www.flora.org/healthyottawa/action.htm#local%20mpp)

_http://www.flora.org/healthyottawa/action.htm#local%20mpp_

(http://www.flora.org/healthyottawa/action.htm#local%20mpp)

and also the _Ministry of the Environment _

(http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/searchComment.do?actionType=add & notic\

eId=MTAzMjgx & statusId=MTU0MzIy

& noticeHeaderIdString=MTAzMjgx)

_http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/searchComment.do?actionType=add & notic\

eId=MTAzMjgx & statusId=MTU0MzIy & noticeHeader

IdString=MTAzMjgx_

(http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/searchComment.do?actionType=add & notic\

eId=MTAzMjgx & statusId=MTU0MzIy & noticeHeaderIdString=MTAzM

jgx)

to ensure that _Bill 64 - The Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act, 2008_

(http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en & BillID=1967 & detailPa\

ge=bills_de

tail_the_bill)

_http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en & BillID=1967 & detailPa\

ge=bills_detail_the_bill_

(http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en & BillID=1967 & detailPa\

ge=bills_detail_the_bill)

- will be made stronger!

According to prominent lawyer _Samuel Trosow_

(http://www.flora.org/healthyottawa/flawedbill64.htm) , the 32 municipal

pesticide _by-laws_

(http://www.flora.org/healthyottawa/BylawList.pdf) in Ontario may be

threatened by the

Ontario Government's new province-wide pesticide ban Bill -- that while well

intentioned, is fundamentally flawed as it is drafted.

Section 7.1 (5) of the Bill states:

" A municipal by-law is inoperative if it addresses the use, sale, offer for

sale or transfer of a pesticide that may be used for a cosmetic purpose. "

This express preemption of local by-laws is not necessary. Municipal

by-laws can co-exist with provincial measure so long as there are no direct

conflicts, and there is clear law defining what constitutes such a conflict.

It's

important to have a local by-law on the books even if there is a similar ban

because the city is in a much better position to be conducting enforcement and

education about the by-law.

Please write your member of provincial parliament that the province-wide

pesticide legislation should not undermine any existing municipal by-laws, and

should explicitly permit municipalities to enact their own, more restrictive

bylaws if desired, as is, for example, allowed in the Province of Quebec.

Furthermore, Bill 64's open-ended exemption for " other prescribed uses " of

pesticides is gaping loophole and should be closed. As the Bill is written now,

the Minister could, for example, add exemptions such as weed infestations

and the like. It is therefore crucial that any exemptions be narrow and very

specifically defined and that overall policy decisions be determined by the

elected legislature and not delegated to the provincial bureaucracy. Bill 64 as

drafted fails to meet these criteria.

The Government is open to comments on Bill 64 until May 22, 2008. (see

_consultations_

(http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=MTAz\

Mjgx & statusId=MTU0MzIy & language=en) for a background). To read

Samuel Trosow entire article about the current weaknesses of Bill 64, please

click _here_ (http://www.flora.org/healthyottawa/flawedbill64.htm) .

_http://www.flora.org/healthyottawa/flawedbill64.htm_

(http://www.flora.org/healthyottawa/flawedbill64.htm)

Email, phone or fax your local MPP and also the _Ministry of the

Environment_

(http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/searchComment.do?actionType=add & notic\

eId=MTAzMjgx & statusId=MTU0MzIy & noticeHeaderIdString=MTAzMjgx)

_http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/searchComment.do?actionType=add & notic\

eId=MT

AzMjgx & statusId=MTU0MzIy & noticeHeaderIdString=MTAzMjgx_

(http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/searchComment.do?actionType=add & notic\

eId=MTAzMjgx & statusI

d=MTU0MzIy & noticeHeaderIdString=MTAzMjgx)

with your concerns:

Local MPPs for Ottawa are:

The Honorable Dalton McGuinty; Ottawa South -

_dmcguinty.mpp.co_ (dmcguinty.mpp.co)

Tel: 613-736-9573 Fax: 613-736-7374

Phil McNeely; Ottawa--Orléans: _pmcneely.mpp_

(pmcneely.mpp)

Tel: 613-834-8679 Fax: 613-834-7647

Madeleine Meilleur; Ottawa--Vanier _mmeilleur.mpp.co_

(mmeilleur.mpp.co)

Tel: 613-744-4484 Fax: 613-744-0889

Yasir Naqvi; Ottawa Centre _ynaqvi.mpp_

(ynaqvi.mpp)

Tel: 613-722-6414 Fax: 613-722-6703

Jim Watson; Ottawa West--Nepean _jwatson.mpp_

(jwatson.mpp)

Tel: 613-721-8075 Fax: 613-721-5756

For a full list of MPPs, click _here_

(http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/member_addresses.do?locale=en)

_http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/member_addresses.do?locale=en_

(http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/member_addresses.do?locale=en) For further

information, please visit the Coalition for a Healthy

Ottawa at: _w_ (http://www.healthyottawa.ca) ww.healthyottawa.ca