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Frequently Asked Questions Santé humaine
Is it dangerous to eat wild berries that have been sprayed with the herbicides used by Hydro-Québec? The herbicides used by Hydro-Québec are applied on a selective basis and are not intended to affect wild berries. However, some berry plants may be affected inadvertently. When gathering time comes, the berries will have a wizened look, or the plants will not produce any berries at all. There is no danger of becoming sick from eating berries gathered in a power line right-of-way after herbicides have been applied. The products used by Hydro-Québec do not concentrate in the food chain (they are non-bioaccumulating) and decay rapidly when exposed to light and to micro-organisms in the soil. If ingested, they are quickly and naturally excreted through the feces and urine. All the products applied by Hydro-Québec are approved by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, a federal authority (branch of Health Canada). Hydro-Québec is fully compliant with the new Pesticides Management Code as well as the guidelines for proper herbicide application set out in the booklet titled Phytocides en milieu industriel : bon sens, bonnes pratiques (distributed by Publications du Québec). These guidelines are issued by the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs.  Why do they tell us not to eat any berries and to stay out of a right-of-way that has just been treated with herbicides? As stated in the Pesticides Management Code and following common practice in farming, it's not recommended to eat fruit and vegetables that have recently been sprayed with pesticides, even if there is no risk to your health. Similarly, to avoid unnecessary exposure, the public is asked to stay out of rights-of-way that have just been sprayed. These are sensible precautions with a view to prevention. Does Hydro-Québec use the defoliant known as "Agent Orange" to clear its rights-of-way? Hydro-Québec does not use and has never used this defoliant, which was largely applied in a military context. All the herbicides we use were developed for agricultural purposes and are still used in farming operations today. I drink water from a stream that crosses a right-of-way or have a well that's near a right-of-way. Is this dangerous? All watercourses (rivers, streams and creeks), large and small, are protected by establishing a herbicide-free buffer zone, which varies in size depending on conditions. Wells and drinking water intakes are identified before any application of herbicides and are protected by a buffer zone, which varies in size depending on conditions. |
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