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pesticide bans legal

5K views 24 replies 9 participants last post by  kermit 
#1 ·
I guess this is already the case in some localities in the States, but up here it has just become official that municipalities can legally ban the use of pesticides in their cities or towns. Chemlawn and Spraytech (never heard of them), took the municipality of Hudson, Quebec to the Supreme Court over their ban on lawn chemical use. They lost...7-0.

So that oughta open the floodgates for other towns and cities to follow suit. I know it'll soon be illegal to use lawn chemicals in Halifax and their are another 15 municipalities in Quebec that are following Hudson's example. Toronto city council is considering doing the same.

Guess I'll put of purchasing a 100gal spray tank and stick with the backpacks for now. Looks like I'll be buying an aerator and a dethatcher instead sometime down the road. Oh, joy.
 
#2 ·
cutntrim- I've heard rumours about all this, but i didn't know that bans had gone as far as you say.

everyone, is this rampant elsewhere, especially in canada? is there really a chance they will ban these products, and what will chemlawn and weedman do in the future?

I was considering expanding to include spraying next year, since so many people seem to want it. Those cases you cite may have scared me away.
 
#4 ·
I was going to expand into lawn spraying last year. (i have had my liscenses for years} but with what has been going on with bans and public opinion I put it on the back burner and now I don't think it is the wisest place to invest in equipment and insurance. The eco nazi's seem to be winning the war right now. Its to bad most of them don't know what they are talking about and none of them is willing to pay the price in labour or alternative methods to achieve the desired results. jThey seem to think weed patches and clover lawns are beutiful.:angry: :angry:
 
#6 ·
Hey, before everyone starts to sell off all of their spray equipment, you might want to check the legislation first. To the best of my knowledge, the ban in Halifax does NOT apply to commercial operators. It is actually trying to make sure that residential, cosmetic use of pesticides is done by licenced professionals (which I have always thought of as a good idea) and not by some dopey homeowner who thinks that roundup is perfect for getting rid of weeds in lawns.

Alan
 
#10 ·
Well just as we feared! Toronto is taking the first step against our industry!:angry: :angry:

Just check out this article from the Toronto Sun 07/17/01

Tuesday, July 17, 2001

Lawns to come clean

Pesticide ban in works

By GEORGE CHRISTOPOULOS, CITY HALL BUREAU

The first step in a city-wide plan to ban Toronto homeowners from spraying chemical bug and weed killers on their lawns cleared its first hurdle yesterday.

The city's board of health endorsed a motion that begins a process of phasing out pesticide and herbicide use for cosmetic purposes.

However, board chairman Joe Mihevc said the bylaw "is not going to happen overnight" and may have to be phased in over a number of years.

"We are about 90% to 95% of the way there on public property and now we're taking the next logical step to restrict pesticide use on private property," Mihevc said. "What we want to do is proceed in a rational, reasonable manner putting in place the kinds of protections people are really insisting that we put in place."

'HISTORICAL'

Mihevc said the board was buoyed by a recent Supreme Court decision to uphold a 1991 municipal bylaw passed in Hudson, Que., which restricted pesticide use.

"The possible regulation of cosmetic pesticides fulfills (the) mandate to promote a healthy urban environment," he said.

"Years from now, Torontonians will look back to this decision as having positive historical significance."
 
#13 ·
Hey Us Canucks protects ourselves from ourselves. In Toronto and a lot of other places you can,t even light up a cigarette when you are having a drink or meal or coffee.................

Toronto has smog alert days when the city workers don,t use lawn equipment (20 so far this year!) and you can bet it is only a matter of time b4 LCO's will have to follow those rules to
 
#14 ·
the judgement from the suprem court http://www.lexum.umontreal.ca/csc-scc/en/rec/html/hudson.en.html

I'm from Quebec Canada and it's true about the ban. Between snowstorm i go to university following a turf and yard maintenance programs and we are now working for pest free grass. our biggest problem was the compact poor clay soil. after we stop the treatment 2 years ago we get mostly dandelion and clover problem. we change our cultural pratice, and with core aeration and compost spreading the result was good. Grass is green and more resistant to droughness. Some client now wants little flower in their grass to encourage biodiversity.

Now I listen to the weeds, they are the response of mother nature about soil problems.

This is our responsability to educate the customers about alternative.

http://www.parl.gc.ca/InfocomDoc/36/2/ENVI/PressReleases/Envipr02-e.htm

Denis
 
#17 ·
A "Major" Quebec lawn care firm continues to by-pass the laws and sprays what is required. The company pays the fines at the end of the year, case closed! This is quite the dilema;for, this company continues to grow!

The cities are now faced with "policing" the lawn care industry, at what cost to its tax payers? Can the cities effectively police a large number of lawn care operators?

These by-laws are shifiting the responsibility for "cosmetic" lawn care to the homeowner. Most accidents from pesticide use comes from the homeowner, is this the point of by-laws?
 
#18 ·
Cutntrim, if you don't even own a dethather or an aerator you are not in the horticultural business, you are a pimp for the chemical industry. Get with the program, get some hort knowledge before your business is kaput. It's people like you who give the green industry a black eye.
 
#19 ·
Kermit, you should learn how to spell and write the English language. I see in your future a return to elementary school! LOL

You have no idea what you are talking about nor do you know about my experience(s).

This Quebec lawn care company has made his reputation by ignoring the by-laws.:D
 
#23 ·
Greensummer, I see from your profile you have been in business for six months. Are you a member of any hort organizations? Do you contribute to the industry or are you a scrub.

If you ahve been involved in the industry here for any length of time you will know the complexeties of the issues and that lawn spraying is on the way out. If chemicals are so safe why are more and more of the makers taking them off the market.

Set yourself apart from the pack, go organic.
 
#24 ·
Kermit,

My business experience in the Green Industry, quite frankly, is none of your business. But it is significant. Do not "assume" when making your declarations: discuss from a point of view of strength. In other words back your statements with proof! This is something they teach you at University but I'm sure thru perserverance you will reach that level!

As for lawn spraying, its here to stay.........so get used to it.

The manufacturers of today are making products that target the insect itself. A "safer" product as opposed to Dursban, for example.

I hope I have enlightened you, good luck in all your future endeavours. :D
 
#25 ·
Greensummer, hopefully your horticultural experience is greater than your educational experience. As a new business owner I would have thought that you could use some help on establishing a niche that few others were in. The overcrowded spray industry does not need another Bozo who thinks he has all the answers.

We are all in this forum to learn. You seem to have all the aanswers so lets hear them. You must be netting much more than the rest of us if you don't need to investigate new hort practices. By the way, as a sprayer were you at any of the REQUIRED pesticide symposiums this past spring? How long have you had your spray licence ? Do you practice proper hort procedures or do you just SPRAY? Do you sign contracts in the spring that say you will spray for grubs and chinch bugs before we know if those pests will be a problem? How do you know what pests we will have months down the road? What chemicals do you spray? Do you use the LEAST harmful chemical or the one that generates the highest profit? How responsible are YOU?
 
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