St. John's council to discourage pesticide use

The city of St. John's will ask residents not to use cosmeticpesticides on their lawns this summer, since an outright ban would have to come from the province.

Coun. Sheilagh O'Leary proposed a motion at Monday's council meetingcalling on the City of St. John's to issue a recommendation encouraging residents to refrain from using cosmetic pesticides.

"This advisory would continue until the provincial government enacts legislation banning cosmetic pesticide use in the entire province or until the provincial government gives municipalities the authority under the municipalities act, to enact their own regulations regarding pesticide use," O'Leary said.

While the Newfoundland and Labrador government has the power to ban pesticide use, municipalities, such as St. John's, don't.

O'Leary said Monday that the province hasn't responded to council's repeated requests to ban pesticides.

All councillors supported O'Leary's motion to issue a pesticides advisory except Coun. Wally Collins, whose Ward 5 district covers much of the city's south.