Column: Keiki still exposed to toxic pesticides

In 2015, I was one of 45 mothers from across the Hawaiian Islands who co-signed a letter to the elected officials who had blocked legislation that would have created pesticide buffer zones for large users of restricted use pesticides (RUPs). That letter, “Corporations Expose Our Children to Dangerous Agricultural Pesticides,” was published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Island Voices, March 4, 2015).

After years of community advocacy at the state Legislature on behalf of protecting Hawaii’s children from pesticide drift, in 2018 Hawaii’s lawmakers displayed outstanding leadership by unanimously passing Act 45, making Hawaii the first state in the nation to ban the neurotoxin, chlorpyrifos. Chlorpyrifos is a restricted use pesticide (RUP) used in agriculture and other applications. The insecticide, which attacks the nervous system of insects, has been definitively linked to permanent neurological damage in the brains of children who are exposed to pesticide drift. Prior to the ban, one study showed Kauai’s agricultural usage was estimated at three times the national average.

Fast forward to Feb. 6. Ironically and sadly, on the same day the manufacturer of chlorpyrifos, agrichemical giant Corteva (Dow/Dupont), announced that it will discontinue the production of the insecticide, a joint hearing of the Hawaii’s House committees on Agriculture and on Lower and Higher Education failed to protect children from other RUPs by deferring, or killing, House Bill 1893, without even taking a vote.

HB 1893 would have created quarter-mile RUP buffer zones around schools during school hours. The proposed buffer zone legislation, modeled after California’s law is supported by a wealth of peer-reviewed studies. Impacted community members from neighbor islands flew in to share their concerns and personal testimonies.

Molokai resident Walter Ritte brought pictures to the hearing demonstrating how Bayer (formerly Monsanto) test fields are encroaching Molokai schools that his grandchildren attend “we only have one high school on Molokai, parents have no choice but to send their kids to school next to these toxic fields.”

A former senior health and science advisor for the Environmental Protection Agency, who led or participated in more than 150 federal investigations regarding human exposure to toxic chemicals and pesticides, testified that scientific studies show pesticide drift and related health impacts extend well beyond the quarter-mile which informed California’s regulations.

A pediatrician testified as to the negative health impacts that pesticides pose to children (recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics), such as lower birth weight, damage to developing brains causing reduced IQ, loss of a working memory, and higher rates of attention deficit disorders.

Unfortunately, these efforts were all for naught since the majority of lawmakers serving on the House Committee on Agriculture were absent for the vote, namely Reps. Richard Onishi, Romy Cachola, Rida Cabanilla Arakawa, Daniel Holt and Cynthia Thielen (Thielen, a longtime supporter of buffer zones, was excused due to a medical appointment). This lack of quorum killed the bill without lawmakers ever having to reveal their positions on this crucially important piece of legislation.

Buffer-zone legislation has been a top priority of community members living near large agrichemical fields for many years, and regardless of being a proverbial “hot potato” for local politicians, constituents have a right to know where their elected representatives stand on these issues.

Malia Chun is another concerned mother from Kauai who co-signed the 2015 published letter. In response to the failure of HB 1893, she states, “Myself, both my children and countless others have been exposed to pesticide drift in my community by large agro-corporations. This exposure has affected our health and quality of life in many ways. We have been testifying for years for the most basic protections from pesticide drift.”

Kauai resident and community advocate Lorilani Keohokalole-Torio currently is a part-time Pesticide Action Network Fellow and supports the Protect Keiki Coalition islandwide.