e-5320 Environment
Petition to the Minister of Health
Whereas:
The Canadian Environmental Protection Act mandates that actions to protect the environment and health follow the Precautionary Principle;
Significant declines in pollinators, birds, and other wildlife have been documented across North America;
Pesticides pose significant risks to wildlife and adversely affect biodiversity;
An analysis of wildlife necropsies revealed gaps in data collection and monitoring of rodenticides;
Reports have exposed undue industry influence in risk evaluations on neonicotinoids;
The former Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) Science Advisory Committee co-chair’s resignation stressed the need for greater transparency and scientific integrity in Canada's pesticide regulatory system;
Canada’s commitments to biodiversity conservation under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework require an aggressive shift away from pesticide use;
The PMRA’s mandate is to protect the health of Canadians and the environment against unacceptable risks from the use of pesticides; and
Numerous jurisdictions have adopted animal poison prevention policies to respond to environmental health and wildlife poisoning concerns.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of Health to 1. Commit to full transparency in the pesticide evaluation process by publicly disclosing all data sources considered—and not considered—in the re-evaluation or special review of pest control products including rodenticides;
2. Commit to scientific integrity by prohibiting individuals with financial conflicts of interest from serving on advisory committees that inform pesticide policy decisions;
3. Initiate an independent review of systems in place for monitoring risks and consequences of pesticides on wildlife, including collection and analysis of mortality data; and
4. Halt registration of all new pesticide products until full transparency is achieved in the evaluation process under §67.1 (1) of the Pest Control Products Act.
Whereas:
The Canadian Environmental Protection Act mandates that actions to protect the environment and health follow the Precautionary Principle;
Significant declines in pollinators, birds, and other wildlife have been documented across North America;
Pesticides pose significant risks to wildlife and adversely affect biodiversity;
An analysis of wildlife necropsies revealed gaps in data collection and monitoring of rodenticides;
Reports have exposed undue industry influence in risk evaluations on neonicotinoids;
The former Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) Science Advisory Committee co-chair’s resignation stressed the need for greater transparency and scientific integrity in Canada's pesticide regulatory system;
Canada’s commitments to biodiversity conservation under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework require an aggressive shift away from pesticide use;
The PMRA’s mandate is to protect the health of Canadians and the environment against unacceptable risks from the use of pesticides; and
Numerous jurisdictions have adopted animal poison prevention policies to respond to environmental health and wildlife poisoning concerns.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of Health to 1. Commit to full transparency in the pesticide evaluation process by publicly disclosing all data sources considered—and not considered—in the re-evaluation or special review of pest control products including rodenticides;
2. Commit to scientific integrity by prohibiting individuals with financial conflicts of interest from serving on advisory committees that inform pesticide policy decisions;
3. Initiate an independent review of systems in place for monitoring risks and consequences of pesticides on wildlife, including collection and analysis of mortality data; and
4. Halt registration of all new pesticide products until full transparency is achieved in the evaluation process under §67.1 (1) of the Pest Control Products Act.