HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0143.011 2014-2016 Murashige, Laura
From: Janet Ashkenazy <cavemom38@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2015 9:38 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Fw:Jury verdict unanimous, DuPont Pioneer guilty of harming Waimea Kauai residents -
Pulling Back the Curtain
On Saturday, May 9, 2015 11:59 AM, Gary Hooser <garylhooser@gmail.com> wrote:
c)
,s77
Pulling Back The Curtain: Jury verdict unanimous, DuPont Pioneer
guilty of harming Waimea Kauai residents
4
r
kll
It has taken years for Waimea residents to finally hold DuPont Pioneer to., =
accountable and it is still not over. However yesterday a jury in Honolulu
unanimously ruled that this company must pay for the damages caused by
their irresponsible actions.
According to the Honolulu Star Advertiser story http://tinyurl.com/p2r9oqt
"The verdict said DuPont Pioneer failed to follow generally accepted
agricultural and management practices from Dec. 13, 2009, to Dec. 31, 2011,
and that the "seriousness of the harm to each plaintiff outweighs the public
benefit of Pioneer's farming operation." "
The court action focused on property damage caused by the vast amounts of
pesticide laden dust that has blown on to these homes and residents for years.
Comm. No. • 11
Ref. To: C hC-II
Ref. Date MAY 1 8 2015
1
0 0
However, if the dust is bad enough to cause property damage then it surely
must be causing damage also to health and environment.
To be clear, this lawsuit is unrelated to the Syngenta led suit against the
County of Kauai now under appeal.
The existence of the DuPont Pioneer lawsuit was early evidence that when
combined with many other factors, precipitated the introduction of Bill 2491
and the attempt to regulate this industry on Kauai.
Credit for victory goes entirely to the perseverance of Waimea Town
residents.
The facade presented through the "Good Neighbor" persona created by the
community relations and media guru's of these companies is quickly
evaporating.
No amount of money or industry PR can erase the fact that a unanimous jury
decision found them guilty of harm.
The curtain is being drawn back for the whole world to now see the hypocrisy
of DuPont Pioneer calling themselves a "good neighbor" while continuing to
cause damage to local residents for years after the initial complaints were
filed.
Meanwhile another self proclaimed "good neighbor" Syngenta continues to
use and sell highly toxic Restricted Use Pesticides (atrazine, paraquat and 4
others) that are illegal to use in their own country.
2
, C 0
What kind of good neighbor uses toxic pesticides by the ton in their
neighbor's yard but yet uses zero of these chemicals in their own yard back
home in Switzerland because their laws will not allow it (all the while telling
you how safe it is)?
Syngenta will deny and obfuscate this fact. But if you have doubts, read this
recent New York Times article http://tinyurl.com/m4qkma6 about how
Syngenta misrepresents the truth with regards to the use of atrazine in their
own country.
What kind of good neighbors sue their local government for merely requiring
modest disclosure and basic buffer zones around schools, hospitals and
homes?
It will be interesting to see how the industry spins this one.
These companies are harming our community. 'They consistently
misrepresent themselves, the nature of their actions and the negative impact
of their actions on our health, environment and yes on our property as well.
Community members who live near the fields and have to deal with these
companies up close and personal know this. Those of us who have been
involved in this battle for the past few years know it as well.
I am increasingly hopeful that more and more residents of Kauai and all
Hawaii will of our efforts urgency begin to see and understand the nature and
and join with us in demanding accountability.
3
Mahal° to those residents and community leaders who have persevered and
are responsible for this win.
Auwe to those government and industry leaders who have failed in their
duties to support these good people.
Gary Hooser
Note: On April 28th, in the city of Basel Switzerland, I attended and spoke at
the annual shareholders meeting of the transnational corporation and chemical
giant, Syngenta. Detailed account of trip is on the Hooser Blog
http://tinyurl.com/m67khzk
2 minutes and 45 second video of the FIRST part of my remarks to the
Syngenta shareholders: http://tinyurl.com/m77votm
1 minute and 33 second SECOND segment as security attempts to prevent the
recording: http:Minyurl.com/muz6p8y
A 4 minute video of history of movement in
Hawaii: https://vi neo.corni 125756488
If you are not familiar with my background or with the background
concerning Bill 2491 and Kauai's battle against the 4 largest chemical
companies in the world, you might find this video interesting and
informative. Please skip the first 3 minutes of the introduction if you
like: httn: uri.coircq
4