Canadian Proposal Would Ban "Cosmetic" Lawn Pesticides

Newsbriefs

A proposal has been submitted in the Canadian House of Commons for a

nationwide ban on “cosmetic” pesticides for residential lawns—those used to get rid of dandelions or make the grass look greener. Dozens of small communities in Canada have already banned or severely limited use of such chemicals, according to a June 5 article in the

Christian Science Monitor, and Halifax, Nova Scotia is holding hearings on such a measure. The environment committee in the House of Commons wants lawn pesticides regulated the same way as tobacco, lead, and asbestos. According to Karen Kraft-Sloan, committee vice chair, it would not actually be an outright ban, but the restrictions would lead to a

de facto phaseout.