More than 100 rally for pesticide ban

About 125 activists rallied Monday at the state Capitol in support of a bill to make Hawaii the first state in the nation to ban the insecticide chlorpyrifos, a chemical that has been linked to learning disabilities and developmental delays in children.

The Environmental Protection Agency in 2015 recommended chlorpyrifos be banned on all food crops, but that idea was rejected last year by Scott Pruitt, administrator of the EPA under President Donald Trump.

That decision triggered a push for a statewide ban in Hawaii, and House lawmakers Friday unanimously approved a bill Jan. 1 to prohibit the use of chlorpyrifos. Exceptions would be made in cases where the state Department of Agriculture issues temporary permits to use the chemical, but all temporary permits would expire at the end of 2021.

That measure, Senate Bill 3095, also would require commercial agricultural operations to publicly disclose their use of restricted-use pesticides, and would prohibit spraying of restricted-use pesticides within 100 feet of schools during school hours.

Holding signs with messages such as “Our Keiki Are Not Lab Rats,” supporters of the bill Monday called on the state Senate to accept the House proposal without amending it, which would speed the measure to Gov. David Ige for his consideration.

“It’s a very dangerous pesticide and it affects babies’ brains,” said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Richard Creagan (D, Naalehu-Captain Cook-Keauhou). He said chlorpyrifos is used in Hawaii on seed corn crops and sweet potato farms.

The EPA banned chlorpyrifos for indoor use after research showed children raised in apartments where the chemical was used to control roaches and other insects suffered from neuro-developmental problems, he said. Some research also linked the chemical to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

House Energy and Environmental Protection Chairman Chris Lee said chlorpyrifos “is one of those things which can be used absolutely safely in no context.”

Joining in the rally was Kris Coffield, executive director of Imua Alliance, who said he has a personal interest in the issue because his mother teaches at Kahuku High School.

“Kahuku is right next to large farms on the North Shore in which there are tradewinds that blow pesticides that drift across the campus,” Coffield said. “It’s one of those schools where kids have gotten extremely ill — and my mother has once got extremely ill and had to go see a doctor because of the spray that wafted across campus.”

“There’s no notification right now of when pesticides are being sprayed and very little, if any, disclosure about the chemicals themselves and the pesticides,” he said.

Lynn Wilson, 64, said she attended the rally because she’s concerned about contamination of Hawaii’s water and land.

“A lot of people in Hawaii are scared of big corporations. … Even larger institutions are scared to put their neck out,” she said.

In response to an inquiry from the Honolulu Star-­Advertiser about the bill, the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association released a written statement that said, “More than ever, farmers need our support given current challenges in agriculture and the state’s goal to increase food production. Our goal is to help Hawaii agriculture succeed in the long term, clear away misconceptions about our industry, and demonstrate how our members continue to be good neighbors and stewards.”