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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-06-22, Page 88 - THE HURON EXPOSITOR. June 22 2005 ws Recent Ontario Court of Appeal ruling lends support to Huron group seeking cosmetic pesticide controls By Ben Forrest Expositor Staff A recent Ontario ('curt of Appeal ruling fends support to a local environmental group seeking restrictions on cosmetic pesticide use in Huron County, a Bayfield man says. According to a report in the ioroat° Star, the court upheld a bylaw restricting pesticides that had been challenged by CropLife Canada, "a trade association that includes pesticide producers." Ray Letheren of Friends of the Bayfield River (FOBR), seems encouraged by the ruling. FOBR has been working to reduce -hut not ban entirely -the use of pesticides for aesthetic purposes among urban dwellers for several years. T h e organization successfully lobbied the council of the Municipality of Bluewater to end such pesticide use on municipal lands, but hasn't had much luck in other areas, including Huron East. Letheren says he plans to continue its efforts in the fall. FOBR points to a study published in 2004 by the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) which linked exposure to pesticides to neurological disorders, reproductive problems and various types of cancer. Letheren says he worries about the effects of long-term exposure to pesticides by children and future generations. He also clearly states that his mission is not to seek a ban on the use of pesticides among farmers, since the agriculture industry has taken steps already to reduce its use of pesticides considerably. He says the general public is at lesser risk of coming in contact with pesticides sprayed on a farmer's field in a rural area than it is to be exposed to pesticides sprayed in areas such as towns, where populations are more concentrated. Letheren says pesticides can become airborne and travel great distances -even to the Arctic, which he says has considerable pesticide deposits. Mare Coulthard, however, owner of a Weed Man lawn care franchise in Goderich, challenges some of these notions. Weed Man's official website, weed-man.com, It's easy to see who's just switched to TD Canada Trust. »r Make the move to comfortable banking. For a limited time, transfer your main personal or small business chequing account, and get a free iPod shuffle. 1D ws Switch your main chequing account to TD Canada Trust and get a free iPod shuffle.' Switching your main personal or small business chcquing account to TD Canada Trust means switching to a better hank. 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'Trademark of The Cando hat Company. links to an article published by canada.com from Frank Dost, a professor emeritus of agricultural chemistry and forest toxicology at Oregon State University. The article is highly critical of the OCFP's findings, as is an article from the Financia! Post's Terence Corcoran which cites two Health Canada studies which Corcoran claims debunk the notion that 2,4-D, a "broadleaf weed killer," can cause cancer. Weed Man also Links to various other critiques of the OCPF finding. Coulthard has made his concerns well known, and told the Expositor this week that a ban on pesticide use would result in many laypeople buying weed killers and applying them on their own. He says that if pesticides truly represent an environmental concern, environmentalists should ensure that professionals, not unqualified persons, apply the chemicals. Coulthard accuses environmentalists of playing on local legislators' emotions by appealing to their compassion for children, and says many suchpoliticians lack the expertise to make an informed decision. He does concede that there are certain risks associated with using pesticides, but that the same is true of many innocuous substances. This, he says, is why the administration of pesticides should be left to qualified professionals. He also maintains that Weed Man treats only areas where pests are a concern, and does not blanket lawns with pesticides. FOBR favours more natural means of maintaining an aesthetically pleasing lawn, which can be found on its website (try Googling the organization's name). Letheren also says even Weed Man has begun taking measures to be more environmentally friendly. Coulthard concedes this is true, and says the company subjects itself to a great deal of regulation. Architect urges renovation of existing library in Brussels By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor After studying fou- potential sites, a Goderich architect has recommended that the existing public library in Brussels be expanded to meet county standards. Architect Allan Avis told council in a letter that while renovating the existing building "may represent a slight cost premium over constructing a new building," the benefits include revitalizing the library as a cultural community centre, acknowledging its value as a historical building and supporting the health of Brussels' downtown core. "It currently is, and it should remain, the central focus point for the village," said the letter. Council was told in January by Huron County librarian Beth Ross that Brussels' 100 -year-old Carnegie library should be about double its current size of 1,275 sq. ft. and needs to be made accessible to wheelchairs. Ross said the library board would like to know by the end of this year what council's plans are to solve the building's "serious problems." The architect's study looked at the existing building, two downtown alternatives on Turnberry Street and a new building at the community centre. While parking would be available at the two alternative downtown sites, the architect's report said the existing site is "generally in good condition and can be expanded" unlike the existing building downtown that "are in poor condition and will have to be demolished." Cost estimates to renovate the existing building range from $970,000 to $1.2 million while estimates for the two alternative sites downtown range from $1.1 million to $1.5 million. To build a new building at the arena is estimated to cost from $905,000 to $1 million. At a recent meeting of Huron East council, Mayor Joe Seili said the majority of Brussels citizens want to see the library remain on the village's main street. He said the community also requested that the architect look at the possibility of adding a single storey addition at the back of the existing library. A second report looking at the alternative of a single -storey addition to the back of the existing library was received last week and are expected to he discussed at council's May 28 meeting. Two Huron East men charged after assault in Seaforth parking lot Ilurttn OPP Two Huron East men, aged 24 and 25, have been charged with assault and criminal harassment after a man was attacked in a Goderich Street parking lot on May 29 at 2 a.m. while waiting for a taxi. The attendant working at a Seaforth gas station pushed a panic alarm after seeing the man being beaten by two men. A taxi driver, who tried to help, was also assaulted. After a few minutes the two victims were able t10 break free and got inside the taxi where the other two threatened to take their lives. One of the two then kicked the taxi causing damage to the cruiser. The 25 -year-old has been charged with two counts of assault, two counts of criminal harassment and one charge of mischief under $5,000. The 24 -year-old has been charged with one charge of assault and two charges of criminal harassment. Both appeared in court in Godcrich on June 20.