HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0721.042 2018-2020 urashige, Laura
From: Becca Chopra <becca@thechakras.org>
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2020 1:48 PM = `
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Oppose Resolution 475-20
Dear Honorable Councilpersons,
I strongly encourage the Council to vote NO on Resolution 475-20. As a resident of District 4, I am
embarrassed by my representative, Ashley Kierkiewicz, who must know that unless the transition committee for
vegetation management by the county is made up of qualified persons from the local community who will
ensure herbicide spraying follows the rules - no reentry for 4 hours even on the roads and a blue dye added so
we know where it's sprayed - and who have experience researching and using non-synthetic chemical
alternatives,nothing will change.
As this resolution is written, the transition committee would include the EPA, the USDA and others who are in
league with the Big Chemical Companies and who actually declare Roundup and other bee-killing pesticides
are safe to use. As our federal agencies have failed us, we had hoped our local representatives would see what is
happening to our county parks and roadsides (they look like they've been nuked in many places) and that they
would listen to the many people including mothers and bee-keepers and the Hawaii Association of Pediatricians
who have seen the damage that the county's spraying has done.
Any resolution is really only a "suggestion," not a law that future administrations would have to follow. If the
Dept of Parks & Rec and Roads wanted to research and use alternatives to Roundup Pro and other synthetic
toxic formulations, they would have done so already. We've been begging them to do it since the 1990's.
I request that you wait until a version of Bill 101 can be introduced as a law again with the same objectives - to
keep our keiki safe, our water clean, our 'aina pure of deadly chemicals.
Mahalo,
Becca Chopra
Seaview Estates, Pahoa, HI 96746
Comm. e.
Ref. To:
1 Rif, D. FEB - 6 2020