Over 6,000 Canadians suffer from acute pesticide poisonings every year. That is one of the findings from research conducted by David Boyd for the David Suzuki Foundation report, Northern Exposure: Acute pesticide poisonings in Canada.

To download executive summary or full report (PDF-328 KB, 18 pages) go to: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Publications/Northern_exposure.asp

OTTAWA -- The Conservative government fended off opposition accusations Tuesday of favouritism for the Alberta oilpatch as various industry groups started raising questions about new federal environmental regulations that make the oilsands the only Canadian sector allowed to increase pollution linked to smog over the next decade.

Toxics Watch and a group of prominent environmental groups across the country have written to the Prime Minister emphasizing the immediate need to announce and implement a credible and effective plan to comply with the Kyoto Protocol. Read the letter here (PDF 192KB).

Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is currently seeking input on its re-evaluation of 2,4-D on lawn and turf uses. As per usual process, the Agency is releasing its Proposed Acceptability for Continuing Registration document on the re-evaluation and is seeking input from stakeholders, including the scientific community and all other interested parties, to provide any additional information that may be relevant to this re-evaluation.

Environment Canada is currently inviting interested parties to consult the materials posted on their website. The 2,4-D Feature page is available at the Pest Management and Regulatory Agency website. The comment period will end on April 22, 2005.

On May 23, 2001, Canada was the first country to sign and ratify the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), a global agreement that will dramatically reduce or eliminate emissions of 12 POPs that are known to result in serious harm to the environment and human health. By May 17, 2006, Canada is required to submit a National Implementation Plan (NIP) describing how it will implement its obligations under the Convention.

Environment Canada has led development of Canada's Draft National Implementation Plan on behalf of the federal government. Comments and advice received from written comments and three regional workshops held in Winter 2004 were considered in this process.

This Draft NIP includes:

• Part I: Canada's National Implementation Plan (NIP) under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants;
• Part II: Canada's National Action Plan on Unintentionally Produced Persistent Organic Pollutants (NAP); and
• Part III: A copy of the Convention, provided for ease of reference.