Earth Day Synthetic Herbicide Announcement
On Earth Day, the Government of Manitoba introduced provincial legislation to end the use of synthetic herbicides for cosmetic use on lawns and other turf. This is a campaign that several of our gardeners participated in over the years, and we welcome it for reducing exposures to harmful chemicals associated with a range of health impacts, especially for children.
The intent is that this legislation will apply equally to residential lawns, to parks, and to the grounds of health and educational facilities and child care centres. This means that Riverview Health Centre will finally have to end its spraying of toxic weedkillers adjacent to our garden plots. Regulations for the legislation will be developed over the next several months and new rules will go into effect for the Spring of 2015.
Anne Lindsay, Environmental Coordinator, RGS.
External Link: Manitoba weeds out cosmetic pesticide in new legislation (CBC News)
