HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0393.154 2012-2014 Page 1 of 1
Murashige, Laura CO =QTY CL -.Rg
From: Tad [tadv2 @yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2013 9:23 PM 1013 OCT 14 PH 3: 43
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Bill 113 written testimony
Honorable council members—
By now the council has heard from a large amount of constituents and had ample time to do any
homework necessary to answer your questions regarding GMOs. There are as we've heard, grey areas
because thorough safety testing has not been adequately done. And that is my main point! I can cite all
of the concerns and dangers that are ripe (and already showing up) without properly vetted testing, but I
already did that with my public testimony in Kona where we heard unprecedented concern from the
general public.
My question to the council members and any other constituent who opposes Bill 113 —if there was a
chance that further open air GMO testing or cultivation on the Big Island might endanger the health of
you, your children, your grandchildren, would you continue to support a stand that does not enact any
precautionary measures?
Bill 113 is exactly that, a precautionary measure. The "Precautionary Principle", which states that if an
action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence
of scientific consensus that the action or policy is harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls
on those taking an action. This is a principle that the European Union follows and has led to the labeling
or banning of GMOs in many countries.
We heard from GMO papaya farmers who worried about the loss of their livelihood. Bill 113 makes a
concession to those farmers by grandfathering them in. Any other concessions that might be made at this
point really beg the question—are we putting monetary profit before public safety here? Because in my
eyes that is exactly what we would be doing if we allow the Big Island to go the way of the other
Islands. Are you really willing to take the risk of potentially irreversible harm to a people and a land that
uniquely stands to safeguard itself from all kinds of potential harm that could play out over many
generations?
Bill 113 is a well thought out compromise that should be honored for its precautionary measures by
passing it without further hesitation!
Mahalo for your heartfelt consideration on this matter.
Sincerely,
Thomas Veltrop
&n
bsp; Hawi, HI
Comm. No. 373. 159
Ref. To: P/ C 4fe
Ref. Date OCT 15 2013
10/14/2013