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<br /> r> <br /> l l:~li,1.tir~ ~ <til~~ <br /> i'Z!~ <br /> Testimony and Information Presented to Hawaii County Council ~ <br /> ltiiN <br /> Regarding Irradiation Facility. May 20, 1997 <br /> The Hawaii County Council is considering and expenditure of some <br /> two million dollars towards the construction of a fruit irradiation <br /> facility. <br /> This decision has many impacts upon the people of the Big Island, <br /> and the state of Hawaii. <br /> Some factors which should be considered by each Hawaii County <br /> Council member are: <br /> 1) The general public, in Hawaii, on the United States mainland and <br /> other areas of the world do not like to buy fruit or food which has <br /> been sterilized by irradiation technologies. <br /> "L) These public concerns revolve around a general concern over the <br /> harmful effects of such irradiation, as well as the known decline in <br /> nutritional value of such irradiated foods. <br /> 3) There are organizations and networks of concerned citizens who <br /> are capable of handling effectrive food product boycotts on the U.S. <br /> mainland, and who are concerned about this food irradiation process. <br /> Unlike a state such as California, which has a variety of produce <br /> which is shipped abroad, Hawaii's comemrcial fruit export business <br /> is very easily targeted. <br /> 4) With a small handful of fruit varieties being commercially <br /> exported, and with papaya's being perhaps the best known fruit <br /> which may be irradiated, the impacts upon commercial papaya <br /> growers is significant. The papaya industry has sponsored the <br /> construction of heat treatment facilities which successfully treat <br /> fruitfly larvae. Millions of dollars in private investment funds have <br /> been successfully used to treat papaya using heat technologies. The <br /> Hawaii County Council should not be undermining these successful <br /> heat treatment technologies by subsidising the construction <br /> oaf i0. Z,Z~ 5 <br /> irradiation treatment facility. FND C 1 Q <br /> irfls ife. <br /> JrY~- <br /> ~i, eax _ MAY 2 0 1997 <br /> Statement by Greenpeace Foundation-Hawaii Regarding Irradiation , `pa'~e-Y ' " <br /> 2357 S. Beretania St., #767, Honolulu, Hawaii 96826 * Tel: 595-0057 <br /> <br />