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New group supports citizen action against pesticide useKootenay Citizens for Alternatives to Pesticides (K-CAP) held its inaugural meeting on April 10, and has big plans for the next few weeks. This ad hoc organization intends to motivate residents of the Kootenays and the Okanagan to take a stand against widespread pesticide spraying on public lands. Recently, FortisBC, the Ministry of Forests and CPR have all posted five-year weed control plans for the southern interior that involve the use of chemical controls. These include Roundup and 2,4-D, as well as an array of other herbicides. "Talk about fights we thought we'd already won!" says group member Moe Lyons. Twenty years ago, people of all ages and political opinions, with the support of the RDCK, stood together and succeeded in stopping CPR from spraying Spike (tebuthiuron) on the railway lines both in the Slocan Valley and between Castlegar and Nelson. At that time, the RDCK declared the district a "pesticide-free zone." K-CAP hopes the Regional District will once more take a strong stand in support of clean air and clean water, and will be approaching the RDCK asking them to do so. The five-year plans follow in the wake of new legislation recently passed by the provincial government in British Columbia. Under the terms of Bill 53, the Integrated Pest Management Act, spraying on public land no longer requires an application and permit process. The company or ministry involved is required only to serve public notice of their intention to use whatever chemicals they name over whatever area they describe, and to take public input about it. After 30 days, they can proceed. There is no appeal process for concerned citizenry, as no permit will have been approved by the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. "People need to stand up and be heard on this issue," says K-CAP spokesperson Jill Stewart. "Everyone needs to write to the spray proponents right away, and tell them we want them to find healthy alternatives to spraying. We know no one in the Kootenays wants them to do this, and we need to stop them!" K-CAP wants to make Bill 53 an election issue. "We need people to get up at every all-candidates meeting in the upcoming election and ask the candidates what they will do about the pesticide legislation," says Jennie Barron, who was instrumental in getting the new group off the ground. "In the short term, we want to stop the current plans to spray, but in the long term we want better legislation with a clear appeal process." K-CAP is asking people to express their concerns to local MLA Blair Suffredine as well as to the spray proponents. Fortis is responding to correspondence by indicating their use of chemical pesticides will be minimal. However, under the terms of Bill 53, once five-year plans are posted, the public has no guarantee these assurances will actually be borne out in practice, and little or no recourse to government if they are not. Without strong legislation, K-CAP points out, making sure such good-faith pronouncements are followed through on will require constant vigilance on the part of the populace. Expect to see lots more about this issue popping up everywhere over the next while. Posters with contact information will soon be sprouting from local billboards, and Kootenaycuts (www.kootenaycuts.com) is posting links and documents on its website, including a sample letter and addresses. Information is also available from Jill Stewart a jilstewart@telus.net, phone 357-2307. K-C A P: KOOTENAY CITIZENS FOR ALTERNATIVES TO PESTICIDESThis means you!
CPR consultation deadline on or about April 15 or 16. New BC Government legislation (Bill 53) makes it possible
for a company or ministry intending to use pesticides on public lands
to publish newspaper announcements covering a wide range of possible chemicals
and a large geographic area, and then proceed after 30 days. While there
is a consultation process during that period (this is it), no permit needs
to be issued, and no appeal process exists. |