HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0489.516 2018-2020 off
From: Kater Hiney
To: Council Testimony o-�; NOV i r #a Il t
Subject: Vote Yes on Bill#101 "1
27
Date: Monday,November 18,2019 9:57:41 AM
>Aloha Honorable County of Hawaii Council Members,
>First off,thank you to councilwoman Rebecca Shute-Villegas for introducing this very important Bill#101.
Please continue to support Bill# 101.
>My name is Kater Hiney,and I am writing to you as a mother of young children,marine scientist(M.S.),and 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 lands,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 and 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 their 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.) Studies are showing over and over that 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(many more on the list)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 worldwide and
locally(another local coral bleaching event has contributed to more coral reef loss). 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 ALL 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 runs down the hill and
enters into my organic food garden! We all share the same drinking water,land,and reefs!
>Please vote yes on Bill#101 and use non-toxic alternatives to manage public lands.
>Mahalo for your time,
Comm. N ■■ 0'
Ref.To: ,IL 1
Ref. Dote. OV 2 0 2019
>Kater Hiney
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