New pesticide bill
Friday May 9 2008
By Cynthia Gamble, Staff Writer
A provincial bill to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides could mean the Town will have spend more money in the future to keep its parks and playing fields up to standard.
Mayor Rick Bonnette requested a Town staff report on the budget implications of Bill 64— the Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act 2008.
Currently the Town uses pesticides on Town-owned properties only when certain levels of pests have been reached.
“I spoke with Christine Upton from HOPE (Healthy Options for People and the Environment) and she will be very pleased to work with Town staff on alternatives to pesticides,” said the mayor. “It fits in with our Green Plan.”
Councillor Jane Fogal said one of the implications would be financial.
“When we first started on this path to cut back on pesticides (a few years ago), we had a report telling how much it was going to cost us. Then council voted to not support it in that way, and our playing fields degraded. There is going to be a need to apply more aerating, over-seeding and mulching. We’ll be faced with that again.”
Fogal suggested now that the Region has implemented GreenCart program that the region’s municipalities get a deal on the compost generated.
“It’s something we’re going to need more of,” she said, requesting that the mayor bring it up at a future Halton Region planning and public works meeting.
Print this article
Email this article
