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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0271.158 2012-2014 Page 1 of 1 Murashige, Laura COUNTY CLERK COUNTY OF HAWAII From: David Arakawa [darakawa @lurf.org] Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 9:46 AM 2013 MAT 14 PH 2: 32 To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us Cc: Wynde Yamamoto Subject: HAWAII - Bill 79 Prohibition of GMOs (PSMTC -Tuesday, May 14, 2013) Attachments: 130514 HAWAII Bill 79 GMO Ban (dza) final.pdf Aloha Committee Clerk for the Hawaii county Council Committee on Public Safety & Mass Transit, Please accept LURF's testimony in OPPOSITION to Bill 79 (2013) relating to Prohibition of GMOs. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Mahalo, Dave David Z. Arakawa Executive Director Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii 1100 Alakea Street, Suite 408 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Telephone: (808) 521-4717 Direct Line: (808) 521-4718 Cellular: (808) 783-9407 Fax: (808) 536-0132 E-mail: t w, Website: Comm.No .27/. /Se Ref.To:, P.,S''!��G Ref.Dote 5/14/2013 Mme' MIL ? Lis, 71M, LAND USE RESEARCH -, FOUNDATION OF HAWAII anik 1100 Alakea Street,Suite 408 1��.�1b Honolulu,Hawaii 96813 (8o8)521-4717 May 14, 2013 Honorable Brenda Ford,Chair Honorable Margaret Wille,Vice-Chair and Members Committee on Public Safety&Mass Transit, 7th Session Hawaii County Council County of Hawaii Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni St. Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Opposition to Bill 79 (2013) Proposed Ordinance Amending Chapter 14 of the Hawaii County Code 1983 (2005 Edition,As Amended) By Adding A New Article Relating To Prohibition of Genetically Modified Organisms. County Council Committee on Public Safety and Mass Transit Meeting: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 9:oo a.m., in at Council Chambers Dear Chair Ford,Vice-Chair Wille, and Committee Members, My name is Dave Arakawa, and I am the Executive Director of the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii (LURF) is a private, non-profit research and trade association whose members include major Hawaii landowners, developers and a utility company. One of LURF's missions is to advocate for reasonable, rational and equitable land use planning, legislation and regulations that encourage well-planned economic growth and development, while safeguarding Hawaii's significant natural and cultural resources and public health and safety. LURF OPPOSES Bill 79 (2013), which proposes to add a new article to the Hawaii County Code, Chapter 14, General Welfare, titled "Genetically Modified (Transgenic) Organisms Prohibited," to prohibit the propagation, cultivation, raising, growing, sale or distribution of transgenic organisms ("GMO"). LURF's opposition is based on the following: • Federal preemption. The prohibitions against the propagation, cultivation, raising, growing, sale or distribution of GMO may be legally preempted by the Federal government. Honorable Brenda Ford,Chair Honorable Margaret Wille,Vice Chair Committee on Public Safety&Mass Transit May 14,2013 Page 2 • Violation of the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The prohibition of sale or distribution of GMO products imported from other states may violate the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. • GMO crops are already extensively tested and regulated. Acc()rdin ; tc, the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association ("HCIA-). (;NIt), or biotech crops are "uiriaun thr' most extt'Tisa'c/l/ tested, well charaetem'ited, and regulated fad. f'i'd and f7heT'products ever developed. All commercial biotech crops have been thoroughly assessed/or human UTrd animal health and eiii'ironuu'utal scijettJ according to well estahIiS/lcd. international accepted, scientijuc standards and ctiaiclr'Irr;t's hi.J the I'.S. I)ehartrrlent of 1riricultiire, the F.S. I ood and Orirgq Administration cried, where the plant pr'ocides protection)from ''e.cts, tlit I''.S, rrit'iroliri entYll Protection kaencl;." • Scientific consensus is that GMO are safe. Based on information provided by the HCIA, LURF understands that the American Medical Association, World Health organization and the National Academy of Science, have found that GMO crops,feed and foods produced under the above standards and guidelines are safe for human consumption and do not impose any greater risk to the environment than varieties developed though other breeding methods. • Beneficial uses of GMO. LURF understands that GMO in Hawaii plays a critical role in increasing the productivity of farmers, protecting against pests and diseases, and feeding populations all over the world. It is well-documented that GMO saved Hawaii's papaya industry, and Rainbow Papaya has been growing on Hawaii Island for more than 13 years, with millions of pounds exported and consumed around the world annually — with no ill effects. According to HCIA, the State of Hawaii is the world's leading producer of seed corn, which produce food crops with greater resistance to disease, insects and drought and reduce the quantity of pesticides used by farmers world-wide. HCIA also notes that GMO and biotechnology is also playing an active role in improving the productivity and efficacy of ethanol and biofuel production, which will reduce Hawaii's dependence on foreign oil, cleaning the environment and increasing economic development. . Also, the Hawaii Floriculture & Nursery Association and member nurseries, GMO and biotechnology allow the floricultural industry to grow varieties which are pest and disease free,long lasting and of top quality. While LURF understands the concerns of the proponents of this measure, it believes that Bill 79 is based on misinformation and unnecessary. LURF and its members therefore support the use of GMO, and encourage all interested parties on Hawaii Island to work together and collaborate in order that the GMO concerns and related issues can be clarified and resolved. Thank you for the opportunity to express LURF's OPPOSITION to Bill 79 (2013).