Ontario has released a final list of pesticides that will be banned for cosmetic use and sale — including weed killer 2,4-D — starting on Earth Day on April 22.
Environment Minister John Gerretsen says the new regulations will prohibit the sale and use of 2,4-D in its concentrated form, despite a NAFTA challenge from its manufacturer.
Dow AgroSciences, a unit of Dow Chemical, filed a $2-million notice of action against the federal government last August.
It alleges that Quebec’s ban on 2,4-D violates Canada’s obligations under NAFTA because it prohibits a product without any scientific basis.
Gerretsen says he won’t back down from a ban that protects the health and safety of Ontario residents just because there’s a threat of a potential lawsuit.
Ontario passed legislation last year banning the sale and use of pesticides with few exceptions, such as golf courses and agricultural purposes.
The final list of substances that would fall under the ban — including 2,4-D — wasn’t made public until yesterday.
