HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0489.696 2018-2020 From: Becca Chopra
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Please vote to override the Mayors veto of Bill 101
Date: Tuesday,January 07,2020 6:05:18 AM
Dear Honorable Councilpersons,
I strongly encourage the Council to override the Mayor's veto. He was in favor of the bill until
he was lobbied by Big Ag/Big Chem -the only people his secretary said he let into his office.
He refused to meet again with Beyond Pesticides'representatives who represent the new
paradigm that needs to be implemented if we want to save the health of our island and its
inhabitants and visitors. A truly "green" golf course, for example, would be a big tourist
attraction.
Mayor Kim conceded that"The County does not have the level of expertise to identify .,,,,.,,
herbicides as causing a 'high risk of exposure', as `dangerous chemicals' or `harmful
chemicals."' This is actually an argument for why we need the bill.
The mayor also questioned the validity of the health and environmental concerns of these °' `"
herbicides, questioning the science behind these concerns and totally ignoring the legal '
findings with these chemicals—and glyphosate in particular.
Please pay special attention to the letter you received from the Hawaii Association of Pediatric
Physicians -they have personally seen the repercussions of pesticide/herbicide poisoning of
our keiki. And I lament the health issues - often seen later in life - of the workers exposed to
having to spray these toxic chemicals as part of their livelihood. Lala Espeneza, park
supervisor in North Hamakua, died two years ago -was an autopsy done to show the chemical
poisoning that may have been in his body? In future, I believe anyone getting ill spraying
chemicals for the county will sue and the county will go bankrupt paying them for their health
issues.
On the matter of invasive species concerns brought up by the mayor, this was handled by an
amendment to the bill. For any further concerns in that area, the mayor seems to ignore or
have missed the provision already in the bill for emergency exemptions in the case of
dangerous pest species that may need such an exemption.
And finally, on the matters that were brought up concerning the need for the departments and
their staff be involved in crafting sound policy: The departments have been in ongoing
meetings and discussions with the authors/introducer of this bill, as well as Beyond Pesticides
and experts in the field of organic land management since before the bill was introduced.
Myself and others who were Greener Hawaii volunteers as "Friends of the Park" know, from
many meetings, that the Parks Dept would not accept help from Beyond Pesticides 3 years ago
when it was offered here as well as in Maui, saying they didn't have time to learn anything
new. Well, with the imminent intro of this bill,they have finally made the time, thankfully.
Beyond Pesticides and the Transition Committee will provide needed support into the 4-year
transition.
And hopefully, with a new Mayor in 2020,the Parks Dept will be given the budget and time
needed to do their job in the best way possible. Mayor Kim lost all his department heads
within his first year as Mayor because of his erratic behavior and budget slashing - his legacy
for trying to save money in needed areas, while wasting it in others, will be noted for I'
Comm. o 4%4'Vi�
Ref. To:(GI
Ref. Date JAN — 2020
generations.
New technologies are becoming locally available, such as Steam Machines, and older means
of tackling weeds like using goats and sheep are economically available on island. There's no
reason to risk our safety by sticking with toxic chemical herbicides to make our parks and
roadsides look like they've been hit by a nuclear bomb.
I thank each and every one of you who supports the override of the Mayor's veto.
Mahalo,
Becca Chopra
Seaview Estates, Pahoa, HI 96746
s.0;