HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0489.707 2018-2020 yy l F
From: Peggv Farias
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Written Testimony to County Council in OPPOSITION to BILL 101
Date: Monday,January 06,2020 12:04:15 PM
Aloha Council Members,
This email is intended to serve as written testimony in OPPOSITION to Bill 101, scheduled
for consideration at your meeting on January 8, 2019. This email is also in support of Mayor
Kim's veto of Bill 101.
I applaud Mayor Kim's veto of Bill 101 and urge the Council to thoughtfully consider the
reasoning outlined in Communication 489.681. I further urge the council NOT to override the
mayor's veto.
Should Bill 101 be adopted, the County would be overreaching, and going into matters best
left to federal and state agencies who have the authority and expertise that the County does
not. In addition to the matter of jurisdiction and expertise, Bill 101 is overbroad in its list of
restricted pesticides, and is based on little scientific evidence.
Additionally, Bill 101 would create significant problems and expense in its implementation.
Not least of these is the added manpower the County will need for alternative methods of
weed control, the negative environmental effects of burning fossil fuels to use machinery to
trim or remove unwanted plants, and the extended closure of public areas to which pesticides
are applied. Has there been an analysis of what the added cost to the County would be should
Bill 101 be adopted?
Pesticide use is a sensitive issue at this time, and unfortunately it is one that society is
approaching based on emotion rather than on factual data. At the end of the day, pesticides are
a tool that can be used safely if proper precautions are taken. Bill 101 seeks to severely restrict
pesticide use by the County, but removing this tool-from the County's land management
capabilities simply does not make sense, is beyond the County's range of expertise, and is not
based on valid scientific data.
I urge the Council to take a long, hard look at what Bill 101 will cost us, not only in time and
money but also in our ability to take care of our roads, parks, and other lands. Please vote
against Bill 101, and allow the mayor's veto to stand.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Peggy Farias, President
W. H. Shipman, Limited
16-523 Keaau-Pahoa Road
Keaau, Hawaii 96749
Phone: (808)966-9325 x9
FAX: (808)966-8522
email: mefarias@whshipman.com
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