Whereas the Integrated Pest Management Act regulates the use of pesticides and herbicides on private land that is managed by forestry; And whereas the provision of safe drinking water is a priority for local governments: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province of British Columbia enhance the tools set out in the Integrated Pest Management Act regulation on the use of pesticides within a community drinking water supply area to require Pest Management Plans, referrals and reporting to local governments, and monitoring of residual chemicals at water intakes and points of diversion.
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy The Province is committed to the responsible use of pesticides and to collaborate with partners to ensure BCs water is protected. The requirements in the Integrated Pest Management Regulation IPMR are intended to ensure proponents develop responsible plans, stakeholders are informed, and reporting is conducted. Government collaborates across multiple ministries and with Health Canada to ensure an approach to drinking water protection that is comprehensive and robust. Currently, under the IPMR, forestry operations who use pesticides to protect crop seedlings must obtain an authorization and, in some cases, develop a Pest Management Plan PMP, which includes consultation with potentially impacted communities. Once a PMP is registered, operators must submit an annual use report which summarizes pesticide use within the PMP boundaries. These reports are available upon request. The Province continues to assess further improvements to the authorization process such as requiring referrals to local governments within the PMP boundary for awareness and input on drinking water protection. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy ENV is initiating a multi-year digital service transformation process that explores options to improve public access to environmental protection services and information, including potential new applications and authorizations under the Integrated Pest Management Act. The development of innovative digital tools to replace paper-based processes can improve accessibility of information and increase transparency in the Ministrys efforts to protect the environment and human health. Environmental monitoring of pesticides may be performed as part of compliance verification or as part of general background monitoring. ENV is collaborating with Health Canada on their development of a national water monitoring framework. This framework will include technical elements relating to design and sampling, identify priority pesticides for sampling, outline laboratory sample procedures, and develop tools for data management and reporting.