The Province is proposing revisions to the Integrated Pest Management Regulation (IMPR) to ensure cosmetic pesticides are being used safely and responsibly.

These revisions will require stricter control on the sale and use of pesticides in private landscaped areas, while at the same time simplify requirements for the sale and use of pesticides commonly considered safe.

The proposed changes include the following requirements:

• A licence is required in order to apply most pesticides in private landscaped areas.
• Licence holders are required to employ trained pesticide applicators and practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
• Residents are to be notified when pesticides are used on private landscaped areas.
• A list of pesticides considered safe for use by untrained people will be developed. These pesticides may be sold and applied in a private landscaped area without a licence.

These proposed revisions are detailed in a document at: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/codes/ipmr/index.htm

Here, interested British Columbians will have 60 days to fill out a response form, providing comments on specific aspects of this regulation to government.

These changes were developed with input from the public, as well as the bi-partisan Special Committee on Cosmetic Pesticides.

The committee released its report on May 17, 2012, and concluded regulations restricting the use of cosmetic pesticides should be tightened, but there was not enough evidence to support an outright ban on the sale of pesticides.

These proposed amendments go one step further to ensure pesticides are used responsibly by trained individuals by expanding existing requirements for licensing to include those applying pesticides to private landscaped areas.

Municipalities and First Nations with law-making authority will be able to opt out of the requirement for a licence to apply pesticides to private residential properties, not including multi-residence properties, if they so choose.

In March 2013, the Legislature passed the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act that included a change to the Integrated Pest Management Act enabling the minister of environment to develop regulations establishing lists of pesticides that may be regulated differently than other pesticides.

The Province intends to implement the proposed revisions to the IMPR in two stages between 2014 and 2015.

Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Environment
250 953-3834