HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0489.118 2018-2020 Murashige, Laura
From: Diane Koerner <dianekoerner@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, October 11, 2019 12:13 PM
To: Council Testimony
"J
Subject: PLEASE APPROVE BILL 101 ON THE COUNTY'S HERBICIDE USAGE
Aloha Honorable County of Hawaii Council members,
Please vote in favor of Bill 101 to limit the County's use of chemical herbicides. I'm in favor of this bill for my
own personal health(I get migraines whenever exposed to Roundup or other chemical herbicides) and for the
health of the county workers, the people who live and visit the Big Island, their pets, the wildlife, and the 'aina
itself.
I lived in Kapoho Beach Lots from 2004 until my home was covered in lava last June. At first, I couldn't take
walks in the neighborhood, because the Chip & Seal roadsides were broadcast-sprayed with Roundup, much
like our county roads. Despite many people in the subdivision getting sick from the spraying (migraines, asthma
and other acute symptoms), the Road Board said they had no other option; everything but Roundup would cost
too much!
But once the World Health Org reported that Roundup possibly caused cancer a few years ago, everyone at the
subdivision's annual meeting voted for a moratorium on using Roundup on the roads.
The road crew just mowed, weed whacked, and used a backhoe to push back the jungle, ripping out the huge
stalks of cane grass by the roots and donating all the green waste to the county compost pile. After 9 months of
absolutely no spraying of anything on the roads, the Director of the Road Board and I drove along the 7 miles of
roadsides to admire the brilliant green grass where everyone was now enjoying walks with their children and
dogs. And also to see where there were any weeds encroaching on the Chip & Seal and causing a problem.
We determined that on only 15% of the roadsides did the weeds need to be treated and marked them on the
subdivision map for the workers to use an organic weed killer (Avenger). Those who wanted to care for their
road frontage themselves either pulled the weeds, used flame weeders, steam weeders, or poured salt or white
household vinegar on their weeds.
At the last annual meeting before lava overtook our subdivision, the Board Secretary reported that the budget
for roadside weed management had gone down by 75% and thanked those who had pushed against Roundup
use. The county also needs to scrutinize their weed management plan to see what can't just be maintained by
mechanical means -please, no more broadcast spraying!
FRIENDS OF THE PARKS Comm, 0
Ref. TO:
Ref. Date 4 CTI5 M20 19
I was the coordinator of the new Friends of the Parks/Greener Hawaii program started with then Dept of Parks
Dir., Charmaine Kamaka, over two years ago, in which volunteers safely removed weeds in parks formerly
sprayed with Roundup. Back in the 1990's, she was in charge of the parks and started a trial no-spray
maintenance of the five oceanfront Hilo parks by request of the community. The transition took extra manpower
(mostly volunteers) in the beginning, but looked greener and healthier and cost less money in the long run.
Children have unique susceptibilities to the toxicity of herbicides, and even though I had to wear a mask(and
usually got sick after pulling old Roundup weeds out of the grass at Isaac Hale Park next to the playground), I
felt it was my kuleana to save others from getting sensitized to chemicals like I had.
We now know that long-term exposure is linked with increased risks of cancer including non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma and aggressive breast cancer,that glyphosate can contaminate streams, which empty into our ocean,
and affect sea life including fish and coral.
SO, I ASK YOU TO ACCEPT YOUR KULEANA TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF YOUR
DISTRICTS.
Mahalo for voting in favor of Bill 101.
Diane Koerner
http://www.GreenerHawaii.com
Kapaa, HI
2