Hawaii County Council members took plenty of testimony but no action on a bill banning the use of “toxic herbicides” by county workers Tuesday while meeting as the Committee on Environmental Management.
Hawaii County Council members took plenty of testimony but no action on a bill banning the use of “toxic herbicides” by county workers Tuesday while meeting as the Committee on Environmental Management.
After testimony stretched into the evening, the committee chose to delay a vote until Aug. 18 after hearing from more than 45 people who were mostly, if not unanimously, in favor of the measure.
Introduced by Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille, the bill seeks to prohibit county workers from spraying glyphosate and other herbicides not considered “eco-friendly” in parks and along roadways to control weeds.
The county spends $30,000 a year on the Roundup herbicide, which contains glyphosate.
The World Health Organization in March said the chemical is “probably carcinogenic,” and testifiers expressed concern that its use could be harming people’s health and the environment.
Some cited examples of the county spraying the herbicide from moving trucks in areas where people walk.
“I will no longer stand and let you use my money to poison myself and you,” said Paul Komura, while speaking from Ka‘u.
Kelly Greenwell, a former County Council member, expressed regret for using the herbicide and said the county should consider banning it entirely. The bill doesn’t prohibit private use.
“I recognize that it’s time to start looking at another direction,” he said. “I’ve been lucky I haven’t gotten sick but I know others probably have.”
Some spoke emotionally on the topic and portrayed the commonly used herbicide and Monsanto, which makes it, as public enemy No. 1. To them, the product could be blamed for just about everything from the rise in cancer rates to the decline in fish populations.
“We can only depend on each other,” said a woman from Waimea. “Take care of yourself and your land.”
A spokesperson for Monsanto has said the product is safe if used as directed.
Department of Public Works Director Warren Lee has said the herbicide accounts for between 25 and 30 percent of weed control activities. He warned banning its use could be costly.
If the bill is adopted, the county will have until July 1 to come up with an alternative.
While speaking with a reporter last week, Wille, who made use of Roundup-resistant crops a central part of her push to restrict use of genetically modified crops on the island, dismissed the idea of establishing a pilot project to test alternative weed control methods.
“I think that’s lame,” she said. “I think that’s a do-nothing and that would be an excuse to say we’ve done something when we haven’t.”
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.