Policy
As Ottawa loosens pesticide rules, its own water tests keep detecting high-risk chemicals
The Narwhal · By Anne Caroline Desplanques ·
The Brief
- The Narwhal reports that Ottawa's own water tests keep detecting high-risk pesticide chemicals.
- The report says these detections continue even as the federal government loosens pesticide rules.
- The article features Gérald Chouinard, a former Quebec agronomist who advised apple growers on reducing pesticide use for 30 years.
Why it matters
Government water testing that detects high-risk pesticides while regulations are relaxed bears directly on how exposure is monitored and how safety thresholds are set.
Who’s affected
- environmental scientists and public health researchers
- anyone concerned about pesticide exposure in Canadian drinking or surface water
- policymakers following Canadian pesticide regulation
- #pesticides
- #water quality
- #canada
- #pesticide regulation
- #environmental policy
Photo: Tim Smith / The Narwhal For 30 years, Gérald Chouinard visited Quebec orchards every week of the growing season, helping apple growers use fewer pesticides. Today, his right hand trembles as he speaks. Medication controls perhaps half of it, the former agronomist…