On June 2, 2011, the Legislative Assembly agreed to appoint a Special Committee to examine the use of Cosmetic Pesticides and to make recommendations that potentially could lead to new restrictions on the use of these products in British Columbia. The Business Council of British Columbia is pleased to provide these comments on the policy and regulatory framework concerning the cosmetic use of pesticides in British Columbia.
The Business Council also has some concern about the prospect of a spreading patchwork of regulation in this domain. We strongly support the implementation of a coherent set of rules across the province, recognizing that urban and rural settings may warrant somewhat different treatment. As we understand it, around 20 municipalities in BC have already taken steps to restrict pesticide use, with some prohibiting all pesticides in their jurisdictions while others allow some applications with a municipally‐issued permit. Having an array of diverse or conflicting rules in different communities can create unnecessary confusion for industry as well as consumers and leads to higher compliance costs. The Ministry of Environment should ensure that any changes touching on the cosmetic use of pesticides will supersede municipal regulations in order to establish a coherent provincial regulatory framework for the use of pesticide products.
