News Release
2002-17
March 21, 2002
The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Health, introduces a bill to modernize pesticide
legislation and protect Canadians
OTTAWA - The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Health, today introduced in
the House of Commons a bill to enact a new Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). The
bill will safeguard Canadians, especially children, and will help ensure a safe and abundant
food supply.
"The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that Canadians are better protected
from health and environmental risks posed by pesticides. The bill reflects this commitment
by modernizing and strengthening pesticide regulation and making the registration system
more transparent," said Minister McLellan.
The proposed new Pest Control Products Act would:
Strengthen health and environmental protection by:
- requiring special protection for infants and children;
- taking into account pesticide exposure from all sources, including food and water,
and considering cumulative effects of pesticides that act in the same way; and,
- supporting pesticide risk reduction, for example, ensuring that only pesticides that
make a useful contribution to pest management are registered and encouraging the registration
of lower-risk products.
Make the registration system more transparent by:
- establishing a public registry to allow access to detailed evaluation reports on registered
pesticides;
- allowing the public to view the test data on which these pesticide evaluations are
based; and,
- allowing the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to share scientific studies with
provincial/territorial and international regulators, which will enhance the process for
international joint reviews of pesticides, giving Canadian growers equal access to newer,
safer pesticides so they can be competitive in the marketplace.
Strengthen post-registration control of pesticides by:
- requiring pesticide companies to report adverse effects;
- requiring re-evaluations of older pesticides 15 years after they are registered and
providing the Minister with the authority to remove pesticides from the market if required
data are not supplied; and,
- providing increased powers of inspection and higher maximum penalties, up to $1million
for the most serious offences, when pesticides are not marketed or used in accordance
with the law.
The proposed new PCPA will enhance public confidence, here and abroad, that Canadian agri-food,
forestry and other products are safe.
"The changes introduced today take into consideration the views of all parties, while
recognizing that the protection of human health and the environment continue to be the
top priority in regulating pesticides in Canada," said Minister McLellan.
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The following is available on the  PMRA web site or by telephoning
the PMRA Information Service at 1-800-267-6315:
Media Inquiries:
Marc Richard
Media Relations, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
(613) 736-3573
Farah Mohamed
Office of Anne McLellan
Minister of Health
(613) 957-1694
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