The Editor,
Re."You can weigh in on pesticides" (The Tri-City News, May 4).
The discussions about cosmetic pesticide use in Coquitlam and other municipalities are getting far too political. The likes of Coquitlam Coun. Selina Robinson are trying to impose their personal will on the people of the community without room for proper discussion.
When council decided to form a committee to look into this, I breathed a sigh of relief, figuring we would get a knowledge-based decision rather than a political one. It was obvious Coun. Robinson was not interested in what a committee might come up with as a recommendation. She just wants an outright ban, being a zealot on this issue.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not crazy about the free use of chemical pesticides and herbicides. But I do not believe an outright ban on their use is the correct avenue to take.
The proper way to deal with this is at the provincial level. Second, it's the application of the products that needs to be controlled, perhaps by limiting product strength for residential use or having licensed companies apply product to larger areas.
It would seem the committee has already been mandated, or decided, a ban on pesticides is finalized. The only thing remaining is figuring out how to impose the ban and enforce it.
The committee should look at the real issues surrounding pesticide/herbicide use and decide if they warrant any major action. I do not think the occasional use of bug and weed killer around residential gardens is as big a problem as some would have us believe.
Let's have cooler heads prevail.
Andy Cassidy, Coquitlam
The Editor,
Re."You can weigh in on pesticides" (The Tri-City News, May 4).
The discussions about cosmetic pesticide use in Coquitlam and other municipalities are getting far too political. The likes of Coquitlam Coun. Selina Robinson are trying to impose their personal will on the people of the community without room for proper discussion.
When council decided to form a committee to look into this, I breathed a sigh of relief, figuring we would get a knowledge-based decision rather than a political one. It was obvious Coun. Robinson was not interested in what a committee might come up with as a recommendation. She just wants an outright ban, being a zealot on this issue.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not crazy about the free use of chemical pesticides and herbicides. But I do not believe an outright ban on their use is the correct avenue to take.
The proper way to deal with this is at the provincial level. Second, it's the application of the products that needs to be controlled, perhaps by limiting product strength for residential use or having licensed companies apply product to larger areas.
It would seem the committee has already been mandated, or decided, a ban on pesticides is finalized. The only thing remaining is figuring out how to impose the ban and enforce it.
The committee should look at the real issues surrounding pesticide/herbicide use and decide if they warrant any major action. I do not think the occasional use of bug and weed killer around residential gardens is as big a problem as some would have us believe.
Let's have cooler heads prevail.
Andy Cassidy, Coquitlam
