HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0489.694 2018-2020 Y is
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i..t' ' a I a!P P'111
January 06, 2020
2070 JAN _7 Ali ID: 5 1
Re: Testimony in support of Mayor Harry Kim's Veto of Bill 101 relating to Herbicide Use.
To Whom It May Concern,
I am submitting my testimony, as an individual,to support Mayor Harry Kim's Veto of Bill 101
relating to Herbicide Use. I am currently an Associate Extension Specialist in the College of
Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. My
job and responsibility are to conduct applied research and provide extension services to turfgrass
and landscape pest management industries statewide in Hawaii (see my UH Lab website at:
https://cros.ctahr.hawaii.edu/cheng/).
My Ph.D. degree is Environmental Science, and I am proud to say that I do very much care for
Hawaii's world-class environment and landscape which we all call home. Although in my
classes and seminars I always emphasize integrated pest management approach utilizing cultural
and biological control practices wherever possible, I also make it clear that in many systems,
modem and low-risk chemicals are still the most effective and efficient means to control insect
pests,plant pathogens, weeds, nematodes, and more. In this case, I consider herbicides, applied
when label instructions are strictly followed,the appropriate way to control weeds in public
lands aswell as other lands. If herbicides are banned, it will be very difficult for Hawaii County
to find alternative weed management means that can provide equal effectiveness and efficiency.
Further, much more Hawaii County personnel time will be required to manage weeds if chemical
herbicides are banned.
Currently I am also coordinating CTAHR's IR-4 Program, i.e. Specialty Crop Pest Management
Program. Through working on this program, I am fully aware of how many steps are required
before any pesticides, including herbicides, can be registered to use in Hawaii. These steps
involve approvals from USDA,EPA, and HDOA. Research data on efficacies and residues in
crop tissues are required too. All these activities are•in place to ensure pesticides, including
herbicides, are safe to use when label instructions are strictly followed. HDOA and CTAHR
routinely conduct pesticide application trainings and certifications to ensure State, County, and
private applicators can follow label instructions and other USDA, EPA, and HDOA regulations.
To summarize, I support Mayor Harry Kim's Veto of Bill 101 relating to Herbicide Use for 2
main reasons: 1) alternative weed management means that can provide equal effectiveness and
efficiency of chemical herbicides are not readily available; and 2) herbicides are considered safe
to use when label instructions are strictly followed.
Respectfully submitted by,
i
Zhiqiang Cheng, Ph.D. in Environmental Science
3130 Ala ilima Street, Honolulu, HI 96818
Email: cheng241osu@gmail.com
Comm. Nor
Ref. To: pi nU
Ref. Date JAN - 8,2020