Frequently Asked Questions

Application of Herbicides

• Who applies herbicides?
• What consequences has adoption of the Pesticides Management Code had for Hydro-Québec?
• What impact have municipal bylaws on pesticide use had on Hydro-Québec's practices?
• Is it true that in some regions of Québec, Hydro-Québec uses herbicides while in other regions no herbicide is applied and the company uses only mechanical means, such as cutting?

Who applies herbicides?

Employees of Hydro-Québec or companies that specialize in applying herbicides. Any such company must have a permit from the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs (MDDEP).

Anyone applying the herbicides must have taken a course and passed an exam leading to a certificate of competency issued by the MDDEP.

What consequences has adoption of the Pesticides Management Code had for Hydro-Québec?

On April 3, 2003, the Pesticides Management Code, adopted by the Québec government, came into effect. This regulation governs the storage, sale and use of pesticides in Québec.

The coming into force of the Code has had only a minor impact on Hydro-Québec's practices. We have applied the great majority of the prescribed measures for some years now and our perimeters of protection are more stringent than those in the regulation. Furthermore, we conduct an environmental assessment before each herbicide application so as to identify sensitive components and take appropriate protective measures.

Although Hydro-Québec uses less than 0.4% of all pesticides sold every year in Québec, the Pesticides Management Code has altered some of our practices, notably in operations related to periodic maintenance of transmission line rights-of-way.

The changes that directly concern the "owner or operator of a power corridor" (i.e., power transmission lines) are as follows:

• the obligation to use the local media to notify the public prior to any pesticide application;
• the obligation to notify the MDDEP as well as the municipalities or regional county municipalities concerned;
• the obligation to keep a log of the work done and produce a report on pesticide applications.

In addition, certain requirements of the Code affect maintenance practices at substations (switchyards), telecommunications sites, dikes and dams.

Hydro-Québec also follows and requires any contractors it hires to follow the best practices set out in the booklet Phytocides en milieu industriel : bon sens, bonnes pratiques. This guide, prepared by the MDDEP and Québec's department of health and social services, is designed to promote the safe and rational use of pesticides. It can be obtained from Publications du Québec (ISBN 2-551-17833-9).

What impact have municipal bylaws on pesticide use had on Hydro-Québec's practices?

For some years now, many municipalities have adopted bylaws to control the use of pesticides on their territory, particularly for landscaping and lawn maintenance. Hydro-Québec, as a government corporation, is not subject to such bylaws when it conducts vegetation control operations related to its core mission, as is the case for maintenance of rights-of-way, switchyards, telecommunications sites, dikes and dams. We do, however, observe the restrictions on the application of herbicides for landscaping and lawn maintenance.

Nonetheless, Hydro-Québec works closely with municipal representatives, and will meet with them at their request whenever the company is planning vegetation control work. These meetings lead to a better understanding of why intervention is required and the methods to be used, along with information about sensitive components in the areas concerned. Such meetings also help us adjust our practices to citizens' concerns about the use of pesticides.

Research and development

Hydro-Québec monitors developments at the international level and is continuing its R&D program to gain more knowledge about how its practices affect the environment and to evaluate the effectiveness of new vegetation control methods. Every year, the results of this research are incorporated into our daily operations, for the benefit of all. The R&D program focuses primarily on the technical and environmental effectiveness of newly available herbicides, biological herbicides, the development of solutions that could replace herbicides, etc.

Is it true that in some regions of Québec, Hydro-Québec uses herbicides while in other regions no herbicide is applied and the company uses only mechanical means, such as cutting?

In all regions of Québec, Hydro-Québec practises "integrated vegetation management"—i.e., using the appropriate method for controlling vegetation, in the right place and at the right time, which can include the safe and rational use of herbicides.

• The objective is to promote the establishment and maintenance of plant communities that are compatible with the operation of company facilities, so as to reduce the frequency and intensity of vegetation control operations.
• Consequently, Hydro-Québec may decide to use herbicides in all regions of Québec. The choice of method, or combination of methods, depends on the composition of the vegetation at a given site, its growth stage and the presence of sensitive components that need to be protected. Thus, at a given location and for a certain period, no intervention involving herbicide will be required because of the vegetation's state of development. However, at a specific time, selective treatment with herbicides may be warranted to promote the development of compatible plants.
• The grounds of all transformer stations are subject to periodic, selective herbicide applications.
• The grounds of many telecommunications sites are treated periodically with herbicides, depending on their location.
• Some parts of dikes and dams must be maintained through the application of herbicides, since no vegetation can be tolerated in those places.
• Some access roads to transmission line rights-of-way, substations, telecommunications sites, dikes and dams are treated with herbicide.