HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0489.291 2018-2020 •Cii Ty CLERN
COUNTY OF-HAM 1
From: Jane Taylor
To: Council ysabouty 7019 OCT 15 MMI 8: l 0
Subject: Testimony about herbicides t �
Date: Wednesday,October 02,2019 8:03:24 PM
To whom it may concern:
I am sensitive to the herbicide RoundUP. It makes me come down with respiratory difficulties,
catch every cold that comes my way after exposure, get red spots if it gets on me, and if I
breath the spray I can become dizzy and disoriented. The reason I know this is that I have been
exposed repeatedly by my county government which sprays the roadsides where I live and
work. The Waimea crew is kind enough to warn me and not spray right by my house, but this
does not prevent me from running into the spray trucks at odd moments in daily life. When
they spray the road,they don't stop for traffic! I drive with my windows shut whenever the
weather is nice because that is when they spray. I miss the fresh air!
I would like to suggest that it is time to apply the precautionary principle and not use anything
not proven to be safe.ALL HERBICIDES are problematic.Please note the article below if
you would like more information. Who is to say the ill health of our current population might
not be much improved by simply not using this stuff?The higher price of mechanic weed
removal will be offset by two things:the health of the population and fewer weeds. The latter
is because if you mow weeds,they mostly die and grass comes in. If you poison them,
everything dies and then the-seeds sprout again and you get more weeds and less grass. (I do
have a degree in botany-I know this stuff. When I was studying at UH the botany professor
used to leave the building when we were using herbicides in the lab.He said he couldn't risk
being exposed over and over. And yet,we expose our land, our people, our animals, our
children who walk on the highway or wait at bus stops; over and over.
I nearby request(again)that the county of Hawaii stop spraying toxic chemicals at all and seek
mechanical alternatives. The result: healthier people,prettier roads for our tourists!
I was told there is a bill on the table. I was unableto find that information on the County
website. I suggest you list a way to offer testimony on that website and make it easier for
people to share their opinions.
Thank you,
Jane Taylor
64-5292 Iokua Place
Kamuela,HI 96743
from: https:llwww.naturalhealth365.com/roundup-toxic-chemicals-2803.html
Alert: Glyphosate is linked to endocrine disruption and cancer
Glyphosate, a broad-spectrum, non-selective, systemic herbicide, is widely used on
food crops— as well as on residential lawns, gardens and public parks.
Comm. No. MF.EA• L4,
Ref. To: P/AWM(
Ref. Date OCT 1 52019
And, despite Monsanto's assurances that the product is "safe," extensive studies
show that glyphosate is associated with a litany of harms.
In a review of research published by the non-profit environmental group Beyond
Pesticides, author Terry Shistar, Ph.D., reported that glyphosate and its formulated
products (in a word: Roundup) can adversely affect fetal development.
In addition, glyphosate can cause endocrine disruption and damage DNA.
The pesticide has been linked to various cancers— non-Hodgkins lymphoma in
particular— and the International Agency for Research on Cancer has officially
classified glyphosate as a "probable carcinogen."
Alarmingly, recent studies reveal that glyphosate destroys beneficial gut bacteria,
including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. These "friendly" bacteria play an
indispensable role in human health, helping to absorb nutrients, produce fatty acids
and vitamins, synthesize amino acids, neutralize toxins, boost immunity and prevent
infection.
Imbalance in gut bacteria, a condition known as dybiosis, is associated with such
serious conditions as diabetes, obesity, autoimmune disease, food allergies and
cancer.