Pesticide Industry Regulatory Council 'PIRC'

Ontario Integrated Pest Management Association 'OIPMA'

ABOUT PIRC

Quoting Gord Miller, "the power of the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) comes not from the Environmental Commissioner, but from the people of Ontario, using their rights under the EBR to ensure that government decisions reflect their environment values."

In 1996 the government acknowledged the need to recognize two industry councils based on the vastly different aspirations and interests of the two industry councils' affiliated members regulated under the Pesticides Act. The names of the two industry councils are firstly, the PIRC, administered by OIPMA, and secondly, the PIC administered by Landscape Ontario (LO). The two industry councils have same or similar declared IPM educational goals and objectives. However, the process that each council supports to achieve these laudable goals largely differentiates the two industry councils administrated by their respective largest trade association member.

The rationale for recognizing two industry councils, each having two delegates, was the government's answer to ensure that streamlined tripartite joint consultation would occur between the Standards Development Branch and the two industry councils well in advance of future Electronic Registry (ER) postings under the Pesticides Act. In addition, that the two councils would be treated consistently in their independent administration and delivery of educational programs to meet future requirements under the Pesticides Act served the public interest. In 1995 the government listened to the emancipation pleas of Ontario's IPM Applicators and small business operators for equal representation in the pre-EBR consultation process. VanderHeide's researched documentation that nearly 10,000 stakeholders had effectively been disenfranchised from the pre-EBR early consultation process was a serious concern to the government. The government was additionally concerned and recognized that stakeholders with long time organizational ties had been largely misinformed or not informed by their affiliated associations'' executives concerning the posted October 2, 1995 Licensing Changes. Thus, in early 1996, based on the EBR appeal and substantial and substantiated follow up submissions made by our Executive Director, Gary VanderHeide, on October 28, 1995, and January 1996, the MOE Minister ordered new stakeholder meetings. (See Archive files for more background). The PIRC is located and administered via the OIPMA, its largest member. The OIPMA was formerly called the Ontario Professional Pesticide Applicators Association (OPPAA) with same members and the same PIRC address. The two industry councils' agreements and Memorandum of Understandings made with Ministry officials that included approved PNP signs are highlighted in archived Ministry SWAT documents between 2001 and early 2006, and its archived 2006 'Municipal Extermination' web page. The Ministry at PIRC request restored our name to 'Pesticide Applicators'' from 'Municipal Extermination' and in so doing also changed its published content inconsistent with this page's prior publications between 2001 through early 2006.

Please read carefully the underlined members' adopted PIRC and IPM-EHC Council of Ontario Memberships' Sustainable Development and IPM Policy Code of Ethics.