Alert: Support Increasing Fines for Repeat Pesticide Use Violations! Testimony due TOMORROW!
Sadly, most of our priority pesticide regulation bills in the House have not been scheduled for a hearing.
However, a bill (HB692 HD1) to increase pesticide use violation fines has been noticed for this Wednesday, March 1st, in the House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs (JHA). Agrochemical companies operating in Hawaiʻi have repeatedly violated pesticide laws endangering workers and threatening nearby communities.
HEARING INFO
House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs
Wednesday, March 1st at 2 PM
Conference Room 308 or via Zoom
Testimonies are due, TOMORROW, Tuesday, Feb. 28th at 2 PM.
The hearing will take place in Conference Room 325 and via Zoom.
Please submit testimony in support!
Pesticide Protection Measures
HB692 HD1 - Increases Fines for Pesticide Use Violations
Increases administrative and criminal penalties for violators of the Hawaiʻi pesticides law.
Sample Testimony
Hello,
Large corporate polluters have exposed farm workers and neighboring communities to pesticide misuse for decades. As a result, exposure has threatened the health of vulnerable populations and contaminated the environment.
The state’s current low fine threshold does not create a sense of urgency to change behavior and stop repeat violators. The maximum fine for corporate pesticide violations is currently set at $25,000. For multi-billion dollar corporate polluters, this amount is simply a “cost of doing business” rather than a deterrent.
Improper and illegal use of pesticides threatens to harm adjacent, non-target plants and species, to lead to short and long-term contamination of the state’s soil, air and water and takes a toll on human health and quality of life. Despite the risks, pesticide misuse has, and continues to occur within Hawaiʻi.
Just recently Monsanto/Bayer has pleaded guilty to multiple pesticide violations on Oʻahu. This is on the heels of additional violations on Maui and Moloka’i.
Related coverage: https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2022/01/07/monsanto-pleads-guilty-pesticide-related-crimes-hawaii/
Please support HB692 HD1.
Thank you for your consideration,
Your Name, Residence/Town
