Approvals Issued for Spraying

The Department of Environment has issued four new approvals for pesticide spraying covering about 1,654 hectares.

One is for ground spraying of railway corridors. Of the three approvals for forestry, two are for aerial and one is for ground spraying.

Three previously issued multi-year approvals also allow spraying this year.

Any pesticides that are used must be registered through Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency. This federal agency determines whether a product is safe for use. More information is available at https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/pesticides-pest-management.html .

All provinces allow pesticide spraying. In Nova Scotia, the Department of Environment is responsible for issuing approvals for pesticide treatments by air and ground on forested land, utility corridors, rights-of-way, roads, or highways. Spraying is done for forestry management as well as for safety along transportation routes.

Approval decisions are made by department staff according to the pesticide regulations under the Environment Act. Approvals contain specific terms and conditions that must be met, such as:

• maintaining separation distances
• providing notification to the public about spraying times
• requirements for storage and handling of these products.

The approvals are available at http://novascotia.ca/nse/pesticide-spray/ .

Two more applications are currently being reviewed. Any further approvals will be added to the website.