Ministerial Actions Regarding Pesticides

Updating: August 2011

• Training, information and public awareness plans and programs
• Research studies, inquiries and analyses
• Compilation, analysis and publishing of data
• Agreements

Regulatory control mechanisms are not the one and only means designed to reduce significantly pesticide use and their related problems. Under those circumstances the purpose of the Pesticides Act is to:

First of all, the Ministry promotes vendors and users training. Training programs were developed with the cooperation of the Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec and the Société de formation à distance des commissions scolaires du Québec for people working in various activity sectors. Such training is not mandatory; however it can be a good way to acquire knowledge to pass the exam to obtain the certificate of qualification.

First published in 1993, Gardening… all naturally encourages the population at large to be more tolerant when faced with undesirable plants or insects and to use pesticides only as a last resort means. This column offers alternative to pesticides to deau with trees, shrubs, flowerbeds or gardens affected by pests. Now that there are regulations governing the use of pesticides on lawns, a document is devoted to controlling the controlling the main indesirable organisms present in residential lawns. How to choose a green space maintenance service proposes some things to consider when choosing and planning a rational and secure pesticide program.

In 2001, the Québec government launched a public awareness campaign “Pesticides Free Naturally”. Thanks to the Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, information kits including documentation about ecological alternatives for lawn maintenance were distributed. During this campaign, lawn maintenance workers had the opportunity to learn more about environmental management. The Ministry gave financial support to the publishing of the leaflet La biodiversité… ça commence dans votre pelouse!

Leaflets and mini-posters with the slogan "Avoiding pesticides…a natural thing to do" published by Ministry in 2003 were handed during public venues.

Also, the Pesticides Act provides for:

With the aim of finding alternatives solutions to pesticides by using innocuous products and of encouraging their use, the Ministry promotes research by funding certain projects. During the past few years and mostly through grant programs:

• McGill University worked on the development of a bioherbicide to control dandelions, plantain and fireweed;

• the Horticulture Research Centre of Université Laval worked on the development of an integrated protection strategy for lawns in urban areas;

• the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières carried out a project to assess the operational efficiency of two preparations of Bacillus thuringensis israelensis (B.t.i.) in relation to water discharge and temperature;

• Horti-Protection, a private company, studied biological control of pathological micro-organisms in substrates using a Trichoderma native strain;

• AEF Global conducted research work to determine whether B.t.i. is present in Québec biophysical environment;

• Biocontrol Network has been doing research and development of environmentally-friendly, low-toxicity biopesticides and natural pesticides intended for non targeted organisms.

Finally, the Québec government has granted financial assistance to the Canada Research Chair in Biocontrol at the Université de Montréal.

Monitoring the presence of pesticides in the environment paved the way for improving knowledge about these products and their impact on the environment’s quality. As for the agricultural sector, since 1984, the Ministry periodically assesses the impact of pesticides on air and drinking water quality for cultivated areas where they are mainly used. In 2005, the Ministry published its first report on the follow-up of pesticides used in air and water within urban areas.

As for the West Nile virus file managed by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, our Ministry consults, collaborates, and ensures as far as possible, that insecticides are being applied safely, rationally and to reduce as much as possible effects that are detrimental to the environment. Le Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis et le contrôle des insectes piqueurs au Québec is a document that informs on how to control biting insects, and in particular describes the environmental impacts of the insecticide.

The Act also provides for:

Since 1992, the Ministry publishes the Pesticides Sales in Québec, a document that features an account of the evolution of pesticide sales, a general and sector-by-sector analysis of the quantities of active ingredients sold in the course of the year. Chemical groups established for the account’s preparation are published in the Guide to the Classification of Pesticides by Chemical Group.

Published in 2002, le Directory of Main Pesticides used in Québec  describes the principal characteristics (physico-chemical properties, use, environmental behaviour, toxicology and ecotoxicology) of 153 active ingredients found in the most widely used pesticides, and in products by now discontinued for numerous years, but which are still of great interest because of their persistence in the environment.

Relative toxicity of the most popular pesticides used for lawns, paved surfaces, trees, shrubs and gardens is provided to guide citizens and commercial users when it is time to buy or apply pesticides. This information is based on mammalian (including human) toxicity, non-targeted species, persistance in soil, and leaching potential.

Lastly, the Act provides :

Since 1992, the Ministry is collaborating with MAPAQ, the Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Alimentation et des Pêcheries du Québec, to implement the Pest Control Strategy aimed at reducing pesticides used in agriculture and at increasing cultivated surface areas where environmentally friendly agro-environmental practices are applied. In 2008, MAPAQ and its partners in the agriculture, environment and health decided to initiate a new approach to define, for the period 2011-2021, which has been agreed call now on Stratégie phytosanitaire québécoise en agriculture. The new strategy has been redefined to better address the concerns and current expectations of Quebec society.

Since 2006, by way of enforcement of section 73 of the Pesticides Management Code, the Ministry has been requiring all golf course owners and operators in Québec to submit a pesticide reduction plan every three years. Published in 2007 and in 2010, a Summary Report on the Pesticide Reduction Plans of Golf Courses in Québec and by Administrative Region, profiles the current situation using data on the amount of pesticides used, compared with the reduction objectives set out in the plans.

Moreover, the Ministry is a member of a federal, provincial and territorial working group which developed the National Standard for Pesticide Education, Training and Certification in Canada. Adopted by the majority of provinces in 1995, this standard aims at creating favourable conditions to standardise training and certification programs and to ease mobility of certified workers throughout Canada. This working group mainly develops educational tools which help provinces to publish educational guides and certification exams. Because of this Canadian standard, the Ministry had to amend in 1997 its legislation on pesticides by adding two new certification sub-classes and to start reviewing the training program in place since 1988. In 2002, the Société de formation à distance des commissions scolaires du Québec (SOFAD) was designated by the Ministry to offer a standardized and accessible distance training program for everyone. Learning guides and SOFAD certification exams are prepared according to Canadian standards.

By the end of 2005, the Ministry and MAPAQ began a concerted effort to reach their common goal, namely to protect Québec's water resources based on the Québec Water Policy. In November 2006, an action plan entitled "MAPAQ-MDDEP Joint Initiative on Pesticides in Agriculture" was developed. It sets out what has to be done by 2010. Under this initiative, some documents have been made available, namely "Pesticides and Groundwater: preventing agricultural contamination" and "Agricultural use of pesticides: Environmental Status and Promising Initiatives".

A Pesticide Risk Indicator for Québec (IRPeQ) has been developed jointly by the Québec Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation (MAPAQ), the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) and the MDDEP and is based on the Norwegian model recommended by the OECD. This innovative indicator has significant potential and makes it possible to characterize the risks posed by pesticides to health and the environment. It also makes it possible to monitor these risks globally and by sector of activity. IRPeQ Express√ is a software tool developed by MAPAQ. It enables users to optimally plan, manage and keep track of their pesticide use. The software promotes the pesticides that cause less impact to human health and the environment. IRPeQ Express√ Golf offers the same tools for pesticide use on golf courses.

Developed by the MDDEP, in collaboration with MAPAQ and INSPQ, information tool SAgE pesticides can make informed choices through a better understanding of the risks to human health and the environment associated with the use of pesticides. It offers easy access, fast and free databases of registered pesticides for eastern Canada, and what, for most crops that are found in Quebec. The databases include information on the toxic effects of active substances on human health and non-target organisms through the application of pesticides, as well as information on the behavior of these products into the environment.

Finally, the Pesticides Act provides for coordinating research carried out by government departments and agencies on environmental problems related to the use of pesticides.