The federal government is proposing to change the law so that dangerous pesticides no longer have to go through routine safety reviews. These reviews – called re-evaluations – are essential in helping make sure that pesticides still meet health and environmental safety standards after they’ve been approved, as new and better science emerges.
Without mandatory re-evaluations, the federal government might only review the safety of pesticides when it chooses to, which could lead to unsafe products staying on the market, putting us and our environment at risk.
These re-evaluations were added into law in 2002 to improve health and environmental protection, and courts have said they are a key part of keeping Canadians safe. Despite the federal government spending the past few years consulting the public and experts on how to improve pesticide oversight and transparency, this change was slipped into this year’s federal budget.
Another recent proposal announced earlier this year would let pesticide product registrations last indefinitely, removing the current 5-year renewal process. Together, these changes would drastically reduce how often pesticides are reassessed to ensure they don’t pose a threat to you and those you love.
Tell the Minister of Health, Marjorie Michel, Prime Minister Carney and other key cabinet members and critics to keep mandatory pesticide re-evaluations in place as a key to protecting our health and environment.