Summerside approves new lawn pesticide rules

Summerside city council approved a new pesticide bylaw Tuesday evening, outlining what can be done in the P.E.I. city to control lawn pests and what products can be used. 

Mayor Bill Martin said the city is erring on the side of caution with the new bylaw. 

"You know if we ban these chemicals, which we have done,  the worst thing that's going to happen is we're going to have more weeds in out lawn," said Martin.

"If we don't ban them and we're wrong the worst thing that can happen is people get sick."

The list of chemicals allowed mirrors Health Canada's approved lawn pesticides, with one addition added locally before the final vote on the bylaw. Delta Guard is a product used widely on Prince Edward Island to fight chinch bug. 

Martin said the bylaw allows plenty of options for the companies that provide lawn care in Summerside

"We've identified a page and a half of allowable products that can be applied," he said.

The new bylaw  also says that companies applying pesticides must be certified in integrated pest management, something not included in the bylaws introduced in Charlottetown or Stratford. Martin said the training emphasizes every other option for dealing with an infestation before applying a pesticide.

Enforcement still a problem

While Martin feels the bylaw is a made-in-Summerside solution, enforcing the rules will present the same challenge it has for other communities on P.E.I. 

"How do you stop someone in the middle of the night if they want go out and spray their lawn," said Martin.

The mayor said the bylaw requires all pest management companies to submit reports to the city.  

"We will get a report at the end of every year on exactly how much of each of these chemicals that are allowed have been sprayed in our city."

Martin said that report will show if the lawn care companies are only using pesticides as a last resort, and guide how enforcement will be handled in the future.  

The bylaw will now go to P.E.I.'s Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission for a final review, and it's expected to in place by April 1.

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