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<br /> FROM :MRILHOXES ETC TO ~ 9693291 1997.05-17 11:35AM 8423 P. O1/O1 <br /> Fax:808-969-3291 - . <br /> To Hawall County Council, County of Hawaii <br /> 25 Aupuni Street <br /> Hilo, Hawaii 96720. ' 97 (~~fiY 19 7 r' 6 <br /> We are firmly against the use of taxpayer revenues for an irradiate ~ - <br /> NTY G= HP,~VAII <br /> the state of Hawal'I for the following reasons: It has not been proven sa e. <br /> There are dangers of radiation exposure to humans, the water and the alna. <br /> The consequences of eating irradiated fruits are not all known. And ft benefits <br /> only a certain segment of our society who are raising tropical fruits for export. Il <br /> does not help to make Hawaii more self-sufficient in food, but makes Hawaii <br /> even more dependent on export for profit. <br /> Countries like Japan will not buy Irradiated fruit and may even stop <br /> buying fruit from Hawaii they think may be Irradiated.Other less toxic, less <br /> hazardous and less capital-intensive methods exist for the control of fruit flies <br /> and other post-harvest pests that currently Ilmlt export of our locally grown fruit. <br /> Rather than Spend millions of taxpayers' dollars on Cobalt 60 <br /> technology that 1) proliferates the nuclear weapons cycle; 2) has proven <br /> damaging to the economy and the environment in the event of natural or <br /> man-made disasters; and 3) is prohibited by the organic Food Production Act <br /> of t gg0, we prefer post-harvest treatment technologies that do not use <br /> ionizing radiation. Integrated techniques employing pest-specific IPM, such <br /> as temperature, pressure, Inert gases, pheromones, trapping, insect growth <br /> regulators, biological control, improved sanitation and pest habitat <br /> reduction ere much more promising and less risky strategies than utilizing <br /> fission by-products. <br /> Papayas concealing maggots at the time of irradiation will harbor <br /> either sterilized or dead maggots at the point-of-sale. This unappetizing <br /> consumer-acceptance problem is exacerbated by widespread re~ectlon of <br /> Irradiated fruit, And lastly, food is more than a collecilon Inert chemicals, energy <br /> sensitive enzymes and amino acids. Food also Contains its own particular <br /> mane, which when neutralized by irradiation will lack nourishment value, <br /> The public relations liability surely will be felt If lawmakers choose nuclear <br /> fission technology over the more benign and equally efficacious systems <br /> approach to managing the fruit fly problem facing fruit growers in the state of <br /> Hawal'I. <br /> Yours slnC rel ~ <br /> Robert and Keala Smith <br /> Fax:808-885-6514 <br /> xo. 212• ?.10 <br /> Itef ~rPresenteQ~ <br /> Ft„i. Date MAY 1 9 1997 <br /> <br />