Green Party calls for return of non-toxic lawn and garden products

The Green Party of PEI is challenging the Ghiz government to repeal legislation passed this month banning the sale and use of a number of products commonly used in organic lawn care.

“Environment Minister Richard Brown has banned lawn care products containing non-toxic ingredients like soap and corn gluten,” said Green party leader Sharon Labchuk. “Now that lawn pesticides are banned in Ontario, these non-toxic products are promoted by the likes of the City of Toronto’s Public Health department as effective alternatives to poisonous chemicals.”

Corn gluten, a by-product of the corn milling process, is sold in farm stores as animal feed and in garden centres as a weed killer and fertilizer. Spread on lawns, it suppresses weed seed germination and supplies organic nitrogen. Soap sprays are used in organic agriculture to kill insects.

“The Ghiz government is completely out to lunch on this new lawn pesticide legislation,” said Labchuk. “After years of citizen lobbying for a ban on toxic lawn pesticides Minister Brown not only betrays people with legislation that does not ban these chemicals but he makes it more difficult for people to take care of their own lawns with non-toxic products. It makes no sense whatsoever. This government seems to be doing everything possible to ensure lawn spray companies stay in business and people continue to be exposed to life-threatening pesticides.”

The Green party is demanding Premier Ghiz lift the ban on non-toxic products and ban the sale and use of all chemical pesticides for lawns, gardens and golf courses.
“This has to be the most backward piece of legislation passed in a long time,” said Labchuk. “Islanders are the most pesticide-exposed people in Canada and when they ask for a simple ban on unnecessary lawn pesticides, they end up with a ban on non-toxic lawn care products.”