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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE |
TUESDAY, December 10, 2002 |
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
has the honour to present its
SIXTH REPORT
Your Committee, to which was referred Bill C-8, An Act to
protect human health and safety and the environment by regulating products used
for the control of pests, in obedience
to the Order of Reference of Wednesday, October 23, 2002, has examined
the said Bill and now reports the same without amendment.
Attached as an appendix to this Report are the observations of your Committee
on Bill C-8.
Respectfully submitted,
MICHAEL
KIRBY
Chair
APPENDIX
Bill
C-8, An Act to protect human health and safety and the environment by
regulating products used for the control of pests
Observations
of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
OBSERVATIONS
During
its hearings on Bill C-8, the Committee heard from a broad range individuals and
organizations with varying opinions on the bill. A common thread among them all,
however, was the need to protect human health and the environment by ensuring
the safety of the pest control products approved for use in this country.
One
of the major concerns raised by the witnesses who appeared before the Committee
was the lack of comprehensive and independent research on the harmful effects of
pesticides. Although some believe that pesticides
play, or are suspected of playing, a role in many serious diseases and
conditions, there is little scientific proof of this.
Clearly,
more research must be conducted to provide that degree of scientific certainty
that is needed to ensure that only safe products are registered for use in this
country and that already registered products found to be harmful are immediately
pulled off the market. The Committee therefore believes that Health Canada
should be provided with additional resources to conduct scientific research into
the health effects of pesticides.
Witnesses were particularly
concerned about protecting children from the harmful effects of pesticides.
Because of their smaller size, diet and play habits, children are more
vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticides than are adults. Bill C-8
recognizes the special vulnerability of children by calling for the application
of an additional ten-fold safety margin in evaluating a product’s
health risks. This additional safety margin, however, could be adjusted upward
or downward on the basis of reliable scientific data, where appropriate.
The Committee shares the
witnesses’ concerns about the particular vulnerability of children.
In our opinion, the additional ten-fold safety factor should be applied
to the maximum extent possible to protect children from risks posed by
pesticides and that a greater safety factor should be used whenever appropriate.
A
final observation concerns the need for information on pesticide use. Clause
8(5) of the bill will require registrants to provide sales data on their
registered products. Although witnesses were generally supportive of this
clause, some of them felt that data on pesticide use, as opposed to sales, would
be more helpful in making the connection between exposure and harm.
While
a database on pesticide use might be more useful, the Committee
understands that some pesticide
use data is being collected at the provincial level. All things considered, the
Committee is satisfied that the database on pesticides sales contemplated by the
bill should be supported at this time. We
wish to add, however, that Health Canada should establish the national pesticide
sales database as quickly as possible. The
Department should also co-operate with the provinces and territories to compile
information on pesticide use.
The Committee is concerned with
inert substances. As it is worded
in the bill, inert substances fall under the category of confidential business
information and as such do not have to be disclosed.
The Committee heard a number of witnesses testify that while an inert
could simply be water, they may also be chemical substances to which some people
experience sensitivity. The
Committee feels that it is necessary for registrants to disclose inert
substances as part of their confidential test data that could be viewed upon
request.
The lack of clearly defined timelines in this bill was raised by a number of witnesses. While the bill calls for products to be re-evaluated every fifteen years, it does not offer a timeframe for re-evaluation. This means that a potentially harmful product could continue to be used. The Committee feels that it is necessary for re-evaluations to take place in a reasonable, timely manner.