HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0489.095 2018-2020 From: Kater Hinev
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Please Vote in FAVOR and Support and Pass Bill 101
Date: Sunday,October 13,2019 9:34:17 AM
Aloha Honorable County of Hawaii Council Members,
First off, thank you to councilwoman Rebecca Shute-Villegas for introducing this very
important Bill 101.
My name is Kater Hiney,I am writing to you as a mother to young children, marine scientist
(M.S.), long term resident of Hawaii Island(over 20 years). As a voting,tax paying,
concerned citizen of Hawaii Island I will not stand for the continued toxic spraying of our
county parks, roadsides, and communities. I am writing to ask that you vote in favor of Bill
101 to limit the County's use of chemical herbicides. I do not,nor have I ever, supported my
tax dollars being used to procure and use toxic chemicals on our Hawaii Island or state. For
years now(think " Silent Spring," by Rachel Carson written in 1962),we as a society have
known that using toxic/chemical biological warfare on plants and animals was and is not the
answer to pest or weed control.
From a personal, biological, scientific, and maternal standpoint I share a few key reasons why
you need to support Bill 101 and why this bill needs to be passed!
1.)We know as a culture that herbicides have caused and are continuing to cause extensive
damage for many years to fragile ecosystems globally.
2.) We know children in utero and throughout the developing years have unique
susceptibilities to the toxicity of herbicides and the brain damage and effects can be forever
and irreversible once exposed to toxic herbicides and chemicals.
3.) Long term exposure to these toxic herbicides are linked to cancers, endocrine disrupting
conditions, miscarriages, birth defects,wildlife decline,the list goes on and on, etc....
4.)Herbicides such as glyphosate can and do contaminate drinking water(that should be
enough right there to NEVER use them), streams, rivers, and we all know that everything on
an island ends up onto our coral reefs, all drains lead to the sea!
As we are becoming more aware of the extreme health decline and devastation to our coral
reefs in worldwide and locally (another local coral bleaching event is currently occurring and
expecting to last a few weeks). We cannot allow more herbicide/algae runoff to enter our reef
ecosystems. Remember that coral polyps have algal components in their tissues, herbicides
were created to kill plants! Herbicide and pesticide runoff can and do reduce the productivity
and health of marine plants and corals. Our Hawaii corals need our help.
It should be noted as a resident and community member I wish we could ban the
import/distribution/usage on ALL toxic chemicals usage on ALL lands in Hawaii, even private
land. I cringe when I see that theses toxic chemicals are available for purchase at local stores
and when my neighbor sprays their land it then can runoff and enter into my organic food
garden! We all share the same drinking water, land, and reefs!
Comm. No. AqA 4
Ref. To:
Ref. Date 1 5 um
Please vote yes on Bill 101 and use non-toxic alternatives to manage public lands.
Mahalo for your time,
Kater Hiney
Kailua-Kona,Hawaii
Kater Hiney
808.960.1299