I am writing with regard to the Red Deer Advocate article, Activists, company claim victory May 31, 2011.
The article includes inaccurate statements regarding the full nature of the agreement and the safety of 2,4-D.
As part of the settlement, the government of Quebec recognizes that 2,4-D does not pose an unacceptable safety risk to human health and the environment when used according to label instructions. The settlement agreement states:
“... the government of Quebec agrees that products containing 2,4-D do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment, provided that the instructions on their label are followed, as concluded by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) in its May 16, 2008, decision on the re-evaluation of 2,4-D.”
This is a positive outcome that the government of Quebec has acknowledged the science-based health and safety review of 2,4-D conducted by Health Canada. In doing so, Quebec recognizes that its decision based on an incomplete review of 2,4-D by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) was not valid given it was based on data from the 1960s and 1970s.
In contrast, Health Canada considered the most modern data available in reaching its decision in 2008.
The plant sciences companies that provide Alberta farmers and ranchers with 2,4-D-based products have long advocated that any regulation aimed at the protection of users must be based on scientifically valid risk assessments, which include the most modern scientific evidence available.
I invite readers to visit www.24d.org, where these decisions and other expert reviews have been made available to the public.
James W. Gray
Executive Director
Industry Task Force II on 2,4-D Research Data