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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0489.474 2018-2020 i!k,\ -., ,,..- ir 4 0: i A q 6),., 3 lk:',.rtr,p,1 Ni, G=am P.O. Box 253, Kunia, Hawai'i 96759 {- Phone: (808) 848-2074; Fax: (808) 848-1921 e-mail info@hfbf.org; www.hfbf.org County Council , County of Hawai`i =. Hawai`i County Building 25 Aupuni Street i,, Hilo, Hawai`i 96720 November 20, 2019 Subject: Bill for Ordinance (Final Reading) Bill 101 (Draft 2): Amends Chapter 14, Hawai`i County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as amended), by adding a new article 24, RELATING TO HERBICIDE USE Aloha Chair Chung, Vice Chair Eoff, and members of the Council, Thank you for the opportunity to testify in opposition to this measure. I am Randy Cabral, President of the Hawai`i Farm Bureau (HFB) and resident of Hawai`i Island. Organized since 1948, the HFB is comprised of 1,900 farm family members statewide, including over 400 members who farm and ranch on Hawai`i Island. The Farm Bureau serves as Hawai`i's voice of agriculture to protect, advocate and advance the interests of our diverse agricultural community. As active community members, our primary focus is on the safety and health of our families, our employees, and our communities as we produce the food and other products that residents and visitors need and enjoy. Farmers and ranchers are the stewards of a large portion of Hawai`i's acreage and we know how important it is to protect and conserve our natural resources. Without g p them, we can't farm. As you are aware, our islands are located approximately 2,500 miles from the continental United States. About 85-90% of Hawai`i's food is imported, which makes it particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and global events that might disrupt shipping and our food supply. Because of this, a primary State goal is to become more self-sufficient, especially with regard to food production. However, this goal is proving difficult to achieve, especially since in Hawaii, we have year-long growing seasons and a continuous influx of near impossible-to-control noxious and invasive species that can make farming here a constant battle. , No justification for an herbicide prohibition HFB is hoping that logic and reason will prevail as you consider the consequences of passing this bill. It lacks any scientific basis and justification, is misleading, and does not consider the ultimate costs to the public and the environment. The bill states that use of herbicides subjects the public, County workers, animals, and wildlife to a high risk of exposure to dangerous chemicals. This ignores the fact that when herbicides are used properly, they do not expose anyone to high risk. Furthermore, the bill declares that the World Health Organization (WHO) has listed glyphosate as a probable carcinogen. In fact, regulatory authorities throughout the Comm. 0. 114A•4114 Ref. To: V IthUnul Ref. Date NOV 2 0 2019 world, including three WHO programs, have determined that glyphosate is NOT carcinogenic. The WHO IARC opinion, the only one referenced in Bill 101, has been roundly discredited by leading world scientific bodies. Negative impact to environment, farmers, and ranchers The Hawaii Farm Bureau opposes this bill because the results will be detrimental to public health, conservation efforts, and ultimately, to agriculture, since although it currently exempts agriculture, the bill, if passed, will undoubtedly use the same misguided rationale to ban herbicides in farming and ranching. Our Hawai`i Island members are also justifiably concerned for their safety, since roadways can quickly become overgrown with weedy plants, causing blind spots for motorists and pedestrians, that can result in devastating accidents. Although proponents of this bill tout Maui as a model for an anti-herbicide policy, our members there inform us that many County roadways have become dangerous with overgrowth, forcing vehicles to cross the center line to avoid plowing through vegetation. Furthermore, as farmers and ranchers who rely upon our precious watersheds, we are concerned that those areas will become severely neglected and taken over by the many introduced invasive plant species, like miconia, that reduce the amount of rainwater that will seep into the watershed, if effective herbicides are disallowed. As weeds spread on County property, the island's weed seed bank will grow, be even harder to control, and spread to farms and ranches, making it impossible for farmers to compete with produce coming from the continental U.S. and foreign countries. If weeds are not adequately controlled on County property, these areas will become perfect habitat and breeding areas for " other devastating pests and diseases that will impact Hawai`i's farmers (and others) and risk the continued viability of our farms and ranches. Bill is unnecessary to accomplish purpose HFB believes that this drastic measure is unnecessary. Pesticides are already highly regulated to ensure safety, human, and environmental health at both the federal and Hawai`i State level. The State Department of Agriculture has just revised its pesticide rules to be even more stringent and has,ramped up its enforcement efforts. The State Department of Health continues to conduct environmental monitoring of pesticides and has not found cause for concern. Decades of scientific research and experience confirm that pesticides can be and in fact, are being used safely and effectively. We respectfully suggest that in lieu of this draconian bill, the Council identifies and addresses the specific issue believed to be causing problems. If the belief is that herbicide applications are currently not being conducted in a safe and appropriate manner, this can be addressed with education, training, and enforcement of current laws and regulations. The Hawai`i Department of Agriculture and others provide pesticide education outreach to ensure that all pesticide applicators, including the County and the public are adequately trained to use pesticides safely. The passage of Bill 101 will result in far more problems than it solves. Thank you for taking our concerns and comments into consideration.