25
Feb
(Beyond Pesticides, February 25, 2013) Both current and future pesticide laws are under assault in several states. State-run agencies in Alaska are no longer required to solicit public comments or a review process for pesticide applications on state land due to new regulations adopted by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). In Maine, the state Board of Pesticides Control is considering a proposal that weakens requirements for notification of pesticide spraying in fear of West Nile Virus (WNv) problems this summer. A state bill introduced in Hawaii to require neighbors to share specific information on pesticides being used to any abutting property owners was revised by various Hawaii statehouse committees until all notification rules in the bill were removed. Alaska The decision in Alaska, which will go into effect on March 7th, allows state agencies to spray pesticides on state land without having the application subject to public comment. The new regulation replaces the former transparent process with one that only requires agencies to develop an Integrated Pest Management Plan and submit it to the DEC. This new regulation takes away the ability for the public’s input to have an impact on proposed pesticide applications on state land. The […]
Posted in Alaska, Corporations, Hawaii, Maine, Monsanto, Pesticide Regulation | 1 Comment »
24
Jan
(Beyond Pesticides, January 24, 2013) Checks are now being sent to 1,085 community water systems across the U.S. in the final phase of a $105 million settlement with Syngenta, the largest manufacturer of the toxic weed killer atrazine. The class action settlement, City of Greenville v. Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc., Case No.: 3:10-cv-00188-JPG-PMF, stems from a lawsuit spanning eight years and is meant to help reimburse communities for past expenses associated with atrazine removal. “Science has been fighting an uphill battle against giant pesticide manufacturers like Syngenta who claim that a little weed killer in your drinking water won’t hurt you. Independent scientists now believe that even trace amounts can harm you and your children for generations to come,” the lead plaintiff’s lawyer Stephen M. Tillery told the media. Atrazine is used nationwide to kill broadleaf and grassy weeds, primarily in corn crops. A potent toxicant, it is the most prevalent herbicide found in Minnesota’s waters. It is widely applied in the midwestern states and has been found in the drinking water supplies in the Midwest at high levels. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have determined that previous studies that assessed population-based exposure to atrazine were significantly […]
Posted in Atrazine, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Syngenta | 1 Comment »
03
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 3, 2012) Several organizations, including Occupy Wall Street Maui and GMO-Free Maui, as well as over 100 concerned citizens, held a protest on Thursday, June 28 in front of the Monsanto Corporation headquarters in Kunia on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. According to the organizers, the protesters met in Kunia and marched over a half mile to the Monsanto, compound for two hours of roadside sign-waving and chanting, demanding that Monsanto leave Hawaii and saying they need real food not exported GMO seeds and chemical contamination. The group also demands that genetically engineered (GE) food be labeled. The protesters wore masks to protect themselves from pesticide drift and GE spores, and received lots of support from many in passing cars that honked their horns and waved in support. According to organizers, a nearby resident even came to find out what was going on and soon donned a mask himself as he was unaware of the dangers so close to his house. The resident expressed concern about the large trucks and equipment operating at night at Monsanto’s fields. Monsanto operates about 8,000 acres in Hawaii for GE seed production. According to organizers, these operations use the most valuable […]
Posted in Genetic Engineering, Hawaii, Monsanto | 2 Comments »
11
Feb
(Beyond Pesticides, February 11, 2008) Growing out of concern from pesticides drifting onto school grounds, the Hawaii Senate has begun looking at adopting legislation that would better protect students and staff from nearby pesticide applications.The bill, SB 3170, will establish a 1,500 foot no-spray buffer zone for all backpack applications and a half-mile buffer zone for all aerial applications around all elementary schools. It will also require a 72-hour prior written notification to all schools in the immediate area of a pesticide application as well as a one-week prior notification of all commercial use of pesticides within a five-mile radius of any school or educational institution property to the Department of Education (DOE). DOE will then notify the appropriate schools within 72-hours of the proposed application. The bill’s author, Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser, stated on his website, “A pesticide is poison. It is designed to kill. No child should be subjected to it, especially in a learning environment. To allow it doesn’t even make sense.” Many of those that spoke at the public hearing on the bill on February 4th had been impacted by the type applications the bill is trying to prevent. Kauai’s Garden Island Newspaper states that […]
Posted in Children/Schools, Hawaii, State/Local | 3 Comments »
