Spraying glyphosate around the Turtle Creek Reservoir in NB

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Someone from New Brunswick asked for my opinion of the CBC audio interview with Mr. Len Ritter. The interview was about the issue of the town of Moncton, NB objecting to the practice of spraying glyphosate around the Turtle Creek Reservoir that supplies water to over 100,000 people. The province of New Brunswick overrode the objection and claims that Glyphosate is safe.

I have a lot to say about it all, including:

  • My opinion of CBC’s neutrality and our responsibility in this regard
  • The value of science today and the qualification of Len Ritter
  • Non-disclosure of safety data on glyphosate & possible illegality about its continued use.
  • The need for glyphosate to be at all sprayed

My views are in the above 20 minute video.

To start with, I do not consider Len Ritter to be qualified to talk on the issue from neutral standpoint. He has made a career of allowing toxic chemicals in our environment – in my judgement.

I do not consider science to be neutral and objective any more, thanks to removal of public funding in science.

Questions directed to Mr. Ritter did not mention the fact that the government has hidden the safety data based on which it approved the use of glyphosate, which is, in my judgment, illegal. And my idea of safety data involves subjecting a group of test animals to the herbicide and their health parameters compared with another identical group subjected to clean food. This comparison, and analysis, constitutes actual safety test – and not someone else’s opinion on if glyphosate is safe or unsafe.

Canada should demand such tests be done specifically for registration of glyphosate in Canada and the promoter should be asked to pay for these tests, but the tests should be done by competent neutral institutions outside of control of either the industry or the government. The cost of this should be borne by whoever wants to register it in Canada.

This is just one area where we have junk approval of glyphosate. Without disclosure of their safety data, its use is illegal in my view.

Why spraying was at all necessary near Turtle Creek was not asked bY CBC.

We have junk science, junk scientists and junk media, covering this issue of life and death importance to the people of Moncton.