HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0491.066 2020-2022 Cl
bill q1
Wlqgqql
From: Sylvia Dolena
Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2021 8:58 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Support Bill 91, Ban Glyphosate
Aloha Council Members,
Below is a letter by Cory Harden of Sierra Club Hawaii.
I fully agree with her statements and trust that our island residents will be safe from glyphosate.
Mahalo,
Sylvia Dolena
Pele Lani Farm LLC
Mountain View, HI,
.0
Support for Bill 91 re. glyphosate
for Hawai'i County Council Committee on Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management
2 PM Wednesday,November 2021
from Cory Harden, Sierra Club,Hawai'i Island Group
Thank you to Rebecca Villegas for introducing this bill.
Glyphosate, plus the ingredients typically mixed with it,harms the health of humans, animals, plants, and microbes.
In 2012 the American Academy of Pediatrics reported that "childhood exposure to pesticides is associated with pediatric
cancers, decreased cognitive functions and behavioral problems."
In 2016 the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai reported that"Children are at greatest risk from exposure to hazardous
pesticides because of their developing systems, smaller size, and faster metabolisms."Children also get higher exposures than
adults because they sit, lie, and roll directly on the ground, and often put their hands in their mouths.
In 2020, Bill 101 to prohibit certain weedkillers came before County Council, and the Hawai'i Chapter of the American
Academy of Pediatrics and 13 health professionals testified in support.
Bayer Company has seen the writing on the wall. In July they announced they will end residential uses of Roundup. Bayer will
also set aside $4.5 billion(with a"b")to cover future lawsuits by people harmed by Roundup. Is the County setting any money
aside for lawsuits from workers and residents harmed by pesticides?
Comm. No.
_
Ref. o:
i Ref. Fete a A2�2fi
Locally, some farmers and nurseries oppose County pesticide restrictions for fear this will lead to restrictions on private
use. Actually, County restrictions mean the County will develop techniques for managing weeds, and private companies can use
those techniques. Companies can then advertise that they are pesticide-free—something that is getting to be a stronger and
stronger selling point.
There are over 80 local herbicide bans or partial bans in the United States. And several countries have banned glyphosate. They
include Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Mexico...places that, like Hawai'i, have thick tropical year-round growth.
Our County has failed repeatedly for an entire decade to pass pesticide regulation. How much harm has been done in that time?
Enough—it's time to act.
2