Mr. Speaker, if not properly
managed, pests can affect our quality of life in many different ways. Fungi
or mold can cause a farmer's field of wheat to be unacceptable. Weeds
can reduce that same farmer's yield by almost half. Spruce
bud worm and western beetles are wreaking havoc in many of Canada's
forests. Mosquitos can carry the risk of West Nile Virus. No
one wants cockroaches in their residence or bed bugs in their beds.
Pests can represent a threat to public health and
to the environment, as well as create significant negative impacts
to the economy if they are not efficiently controlled.
As many members are aware, pesticides are products
that are developed to control, destroy or inhibit the activities
of pests. Some pesticide products are available for domestic,
or home-owner, use, while a larger number are available for commercial
and restricted uses.
At the same time, pesticides differ from many other
substances that enter the environment. They are not by-products
of another process but are intentionally used and released for a
specific purpose.
The biological activity of most pesticides is what
makes them valuable to Canadian society, while at the same time,
it means the use and release of these products must be carefully
regulated and controlled.
There can be risks associated with the use of pesticides. For
this reason, pesticides are among the most rigorously tested - and
regulated - substances in the world. In Canada, all pesticides
are subject to the federal Pest Control Products Act. Under
this Act, pesticides must be approved, or registered, before sale
or use in Canada.
It is Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory
Agency, the PMRA, that is responsible for administering this Act. For
a product to be approved, the health risks and the environmental
risks and the value of the product must all be acceptable.
Before a new pesticide is registered, more
than 200 scientific studies must be conducted to determine if the
pesticide would cause any negative effects of people, animals, birds,
insects, plants, as well as on the soil and in the water.
Detailed studies regarding possible adverse health
effects must be carried out by the industry, investigating
effects that may result from acute, short-term or chronic exposures. Studies
are required to assess potential long term adverse effects of reproduction,
development, the endocrine, nervous and immune systems, and toxic
effects such as cancer. All possible routes of exposure such
as ingestion, deposit on the skin, and inhalation are examined.
The PMRA requires and evaluates special studies that
characterize the unique exposures of infants and children. These
studies examine the potential effects of pesticide exposure on the
pregnant mother, the fetus, and the young child. Studies that
consider the unique exposures of children include the minute exposure
to residues in breast milk, in fruits and vegetables, as well as
exposure through skin contact with treated surfaces while crawling
and playing.
These studies are carefully evaluated by PMRA scientists
to ensure that the pesticide does not pose a health concern when
used according to the label. Maximum residue limits, or MRLs,
are set if pesticides are used on food crops. These limits
ensure that consumption of the food, for a lifetime, does not pose
a health concern. If the submitted data, or any other relevant
scientific evidence, including results of epidemiology studies, raise
health concerns about the pesticide and its proposed use, the pesticide
is not registered.
A similar rigorous approach is taken to identify
and evaluate the environmental risks of a pesticide. Health
Canada scientists determine the fate of the pesticide in the environment
and whether it will contaminate ground or surface waters such as
lakes, streams and rivers. They also identify which species
might be vulnerable to the pesticide and which species are likely
to be exposed under normal use conditions.
Toxicity studies are also required for a range of
wildlife, including birds, fish and mammals, as well as beneficial
organisms such as earthworms. The pesticide will not be registered
if it poses a risk to the environment.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, a pesticide must have value
in order to be registered. It must be efficacious and the host
or crop that is being protected from the pest must not be harmed
by the pesticide. The efficacy studies allow Health Canada
to ensure that only the lowest effective rate is allowed, thereby
minimizing possible human and environmental exposure.
In 2001, following public consultation, the government
implemented a new approach to re-evaluating older pesticides that
first were marketed prior to 1995, to ensure that they meet modern
standards. Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency
has committed to complete the re-evaluation of these older pesticides
by 2009. The new approach to re-evaluation has prioritized
work by considering pesticides used on food crops and any identified
health or environmental concerns. It makes maximum use of recent
re-evaluations completed by other countries, particularly the U.S. This
will permit the completion of the re-evaluation of the older pesticides
as soon as possible to ensure that Canadians' health and that of
the Canadian environment continue to be protected.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that everyone recognizes
that the regulation of pesticides is a shared responsibility with
our provincial and territorial colleagues.
A strong system of provincial and territorial legislation
addresses the sale, transportation, storage, use and disposal of
registered pesticides, taking into account provincial and territorial
conditions and concerns. The Federal / Provincial / Territorial
Committee on Pest management and Pesticides brings together federal
and provincial and territorial pesticide officials to exchange information
and expertise and to provide advice and direction to governments
on programs, policies and issues related to pesticides. Regulators
at all levels work together towards the common goal of protecting
Canadians from any risks posed by pesticides.
Health Canada's PMRA has also worked at the international
level, actively cooperating with pesticide regulators around the
world. Under NAFTA, there is close collaboration with the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, also responsible for pesticide
regulation. Some of the notable accomplishments include harmonizing
data requirements, increased availability of lower risk products,
establishment of worker safety programs, and establishment of integrated
pest management programs.
There is also a successful joint scientific review
process for new pesticides between Health Canada and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. This is a formal process with specific time
lines, in which the workload is divided between the two countries
involved, the reviews of data are exchanged and peer reviewed and
a cooperative risk assessment is undertaken. All with the goal
of harmonized and simultaneous registration decisions in the two
countries.
Canada also participates actively with both NAFTA
partners, as well as members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development, to ensure that standards for pesticides incorporate
the latest scientific knowledge.
In closing, I would like to reiterate that we recognize
the risks that can be associated with pesticides. This is why
Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency stringently regulates
pesticides in Canada and we have full confidence in our regulatory
system. |
