Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Testimony Re: Bill 276 <br /> Hawaii County Council <br /> August 5, 1998 RECEIVED r <br /> <br /> From: Isaac Fiesta f1m-° By <br /> Business Agent & Division PAC Coordinator bate....._.--.-_S _ r & <br /> ILWU Local 142 Gounty Council ' / - <br /> <br /> Chairman Arakaki and members of the Council: My name is Isaac Fiesta, speaking today <br /> on behalf of ILWU Local 142, in opposition to the ordinance proposed by Parents <br /> Against Irradiation. <br /> <br /> ILWU members have taken a keen interest in this issue for over a year. Our members <br /> have hosted several presentations to consider fact-finding and the safety concerns of our <br /> community. We are convinced that irradiation facilities are built and operated safely and <br /> provide a valuable service by sterilizing single use medical products and many consumer <br /> items. As a result, we all benefit from improved hygienic and environmental safety. <br /> <br /> As you all know, the ILWU in Hawaii is steeped in agricultural tradition and the success <br /> of our growers. The cropland undergoing a rebirth of planting today was first developed <br /> for commercial agriculture by the generations of plantation workers who built the ILWU. <br /> Today, we all have a stake in diversified agriculture and the prospects for Hawaii-grown <br /> produce to reach mainland and world markets. The ILWU will always have a stake in <br /> Hawaiian agriculture. <br /> <br /> For three years, our local farmers and the State Department of Agriculture have shown <br /> that irradiated fresh fruit from Hawaii surmounts Hawaii's historic plant quarantine <br /> barrier, allowing our farmers to sell their products in a vast U.S. mainland market. We <br /> should be applauding that achievement, not debating it. <br /> <br /> The ILWU is a proud member of the newly formed Hawaii coalition, Friends of <br /> Agriculture. In the coming months, we are committed to working with our farmers and <br /> responsible voices in the community to address the safety concerns of the public. <br /> <br /> We believe the ordinance drafted by the petition committee discriminates against our <br /> farmers and local contractors who have a legitimate need to use radioisotopes. Their <br /> activities are strictly licensed and regulated by the federal government. We should not be <br /> <br /> enacting changes in our county code without fact-fording, and we are unaware of any <br /> conclusive findings submitted by Parents Against Irradiation. Instead, we have a <br /> campaign based on fear and misinformation. <br /> The ILWU urges the Council to vote "No" on this bill. It is bad legislation. In <br /> November, we believe that all the people of Hawaii County who truly want a better future q <br /> will support your wisdom in rejecting this initiative. Thank you. Comm. No 3 1 <br /> <br /> File No. i <br /> Presented Counr"L. <br /> -707-5 1998 _ <br />