Environmental Resources Minister Barry Hicken today responded to recent allegations made by the Environmental Coalition of Prince Edward Island concerning the impact pesticides are having on drinking water.
Mr. Hicken stated that the suggestion that we do not have a clear idea of the state of our drinking water is totally erroneous and irresponsible.
"Thousands of analyses carried out to monitor for the potential presence of pesticides in drinking water over the past fifteen years clearly confirm that we do not have a problem with pesticides in our groundwater," the Minister said.
Mr. Hicken indicated that the Department of Environmental Resources has in place comprehensive water testing programs and has a significant historical data base supporting these conclusions.
"Both Islanders and visitors to our Island can rest assured that they can freely drink the water without fear of risk for their health."
The Government is currently involved in another three-year study which will further enhance the data collected over the past two decades on potential impact of agricultural chemicals in both groundwater and surface water.
"I assure you that we will maintain our efforts to ensure that Prince Edward Island can continue to boast drinking water quality that is among the best in North America," Mr. Hicken said.