Compliance and enforcement for pesticides

You're in compliance when you follow the requirements in the IPMA and IPMR.

You may also go above and beyond the requirements by using best practices in your industry that promote environmental stewardship.

Compliance promotion is a key strategy in achieving voluntary compliance.

Find out how the ministry encourages voluntary compliance and get tips on how to stay in compliance:

• Voluntary environmental compliance in B.C.
• How to stay in compliance with environmental regulations in B.C.

Provincial inspectors conduct inspections to verify compliance with the IPMA and IPMR requirements. The Conservation Officer Service can also conduct inspections. The basic intent of an inspection is not to uncover non-compliance, but to confirm compliance.

Inspections may be part of routine business or may be in response to a complaint or incident. They can occur on-site, or may be an off-site review of submitted or requested data, and may form part of an audit of your sector. The inspector may plan the inspection in advance, or they may show up unannounced.

The inspector will send you a report outlining the results of the inspection. These reports are also published in the Natural Resource Compliance and Enforcement Database. Sector audit reports and compliance reports conducted under the IPMA are published on reports, publications and guides.

Discover what to expect during an inspection and how to understand your inspection report:

• What to expect during an environmental compliance inspection
• Understanding environmental compliance inspection reports

If a provincial inspector finds non-compliance with a requirement, they can use a variety of enforcement tools to get you to comply, including:

• Issuing advisories and warnings
• Referrals for orders, administrative monetary penalties, and administrative sanctions
• Referrals for investigations by provincial enforcement staff

Inspectors use a risk-based model to determine which enforcement tool to use when they find non-compliance.

Find out how compliance is assessed and the enforcement tools that can be used to address non-compliance:

• How compliance is assessed

Provincial enforcement staff can use additional enforcement tools to address non-compliance. These tools are generally more prosecutorial in nature and include violation tickets, court convictions and restorative justice. Provincial enforcement staff can use these tools if they conduct an inspection or an investigation.

Find the results of compliance inspections and enforcement actions in the Natural Resource Compliance and Enforcement Database.

Find reports on sector audits conducted under the IPMA on reports, publications and guides.

Several agencies can respond to concerns over pesticide misuse. Find out who to contact.

Whenever you're submitting a report of pesticide misuse, it's recommended that you:

• Include as much detail about the incident as possible
• Provide your contact information
  • Staff responding to your report may have further questions
• Attach or indicate if you have photos or videos of the incident

All pesticides used in Canada must be registered for use by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency of Health Canada (PMRA).

They conduct rigorous science-based evaluations of pesticides to ensure that they will not harm the environment or human health when the label directions are followed. They do these evaluations to register a pesticide for use and on a 15-year cycle after registration.

The public can view the information used to make pesticide regulatory decisions and can also participate in the regulatory process.

Access all publicly available information on pesticides currently registered for use in the Pesticide Public Registry.

Use the PMRA Public Engagement Portal forms for the following purposes:

• General inquiries related to registered pesticides
• Providing comment on proposed major registration decisions, such as new registrations or major new uses of a pesticide, re-evaluations or special reviews
• Requesting to inspect confidential test data used to support pesticide registration decisions
  • Note that you can only do this in the Reading Room at the PMRA’s headquarters in Ottawa
• File a Notice of Objection for a major registration decision
  • You can only do this within 60 days of a decision date and must include the scientific rationale for it

Poisoning

• If the person is unconscious, having convulsions or having trouble breathing, call 9-1-1
• If the person is awake, call the BC Poison Control Centre right away at 1-800-567-8911
  • Provide:
    • Pesticide name
    • Active ingredient
    • Registration number
    • When the victim was poisoned
    • The type of exposure
    • Poisoning symptoms
• If your pet has been poisoned, contact a veterinarian
• If you have a dead animal you think has been poisoned, you can submit it to the Animal Health Centre for a fee

Spills

• Call the B.C. Environmental Emergency Program at 1-800-663-3456
  • Find out what details the operator will ask for