Canadian Group Plans to Name Names of Anyone Spraying Lawns

A new coalition of Canadian environmental groups is hoping a barrage of interventions and education will shame people out of using chemicals to control lawn pests.

But if that doesn’t work, Pesticide Watch is threatening to post a Web page publicizing the names and phone numbers of people who insist on spraying even after an educational visit from the anti-spray campaigners.

“As a last resort, yes, I guess we are looking at this as a way of shaming people who otherwise would be threatening the health of their neighbours,” says Sharon Labchuk of Earth Action. “I think that it’s clear those people do not care.”

Pesticide Watch’s plan relies on the lawn-care industry practice of giving neighbours 24-hours notice before applying pesticides.

If one of the neighbours objects to the spray, they can call Pesticide Watch and have volunteers drop by the targeted house with an information campaign aimed at swaying them away from chemical pest-management.

Leo Broderick of the Council of Canadians said he doesn’t see anything morally wrong with dropping in on lawn company clients or with making an online list of those who don’t comply with Pesticide Watch criteria.

“I think it’s harassment when somebody can come in and subject their neighbours to chemicals. It’s harassment when people become sick or have to leave their homes because of chemicals,” he says.

The Pesticide Watch will initially be offered only in Charlottetown, Cornwall and Stratford, but Labchuk says she hopes to recruit enough volunteers so that the program can intervene in lawn-spraying Island-wide.

Deborah Conlon is executive director of the Urban Pest Management Council, a body that includes manufacturers of pest-control treatments. She says she thinks people with questions about a neighbour’s pesticide use should either contact the company applying the chemicals or the government body that regulates them.

“I would think it’s unfortunate that people are not contacting the professionals,” Conlon says. “That would be the best place to go — to the company itself or to the ministry of Environment.”

Conlon adds she doesn’t like the sound of the online listing of contact information for people who use lawn sprays.

“I don’t know the law on harassment, but I would wonder what the goal is that they hope publishing this information will accomplish,” she says.

Conlon said people should remember that pesticides are tested federally and regulated by both federal and provincial governments.

“If someone has a concern about the safety of Aspirin or some other health product, they should call Health Canada,” she says. “They don’t change things by going to the municipality or going to the public.”