WHEREAS Bill C-388 proposes to place a moratorium on home and recreation use of pesticides including pesticide use on any parcel of land on which a dwelling is situated or within 100 metres of such a parcel of land;AND WHEREAS a parcel of land is not defined within Bill C-388 and could be interpreted to include a full quarter section, thereby directly affecting agricultural production on many acres of land;AND WHEREAS yield loss equated to removing pesticide use from commercial farming practices is approximately 40%;AND WHEREAS pesticides registered today must meet strict registration and safety criteria as laid out by the Pesticide Management & Regulatory Agency;AND WHEREAS Alberta Environment maintains and enforces regulations on pesticide use and environmental safety;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts & Counties urge the Federal Government not to pass Bill C-388.

The intent of Bill C-388 is to prohibit the “non-essential” use of chemical pesticides. This includes areas such as parks, ball diamonds, work areas and areas around dwellings. Due to the vague nature of the Bill, agricultural production could also be affected.The Bill references parcel of land in both 5.1(1)(b) & (c). In both cases, parcel of land is not clearly defined. As a result, parcels of land could include entire quarter sections. Restricting chemical usage on poorly defined “parcels” of land could inadvertently affect an agricultural producer’s ability to spray part or all of his/her crops in areas referred to in the Bill. This is unacceptable as it affects not only the agricultural producer’s livelihood but reduces agriculture’s ability to produce food in sufficient quantities. Bill C-388 also deals with safety and health issues related to pesticides. Health and safety in relation to pesticides has been improving for years and continues to improve. Not only are pesticides that are registered in Canada safer, they are also much more strictly regulated. The cost and strict regulations on pesticides today means users are very conscientious of not only the amount they use, but the hazards involved.If the issue behind Bill C-388 is misapplication in urban areas, then this is an issue which can be dealt with within the present framework. Bill C-388 could affect the livelihood of millions and should not be supported.(Note: Also attached to the background information submitted in support of this resolution was a letter from Monte Solberg, M.P., Medicine Hat, indicating that he will not support Bill C-388 as it is vague and redundant. The letter is not reproduced as part of this background package.)