For my kids, my dog, myself - all of us waking barefoot at the parks, please do not let this poison continue and pass into our bodies and into our aina and ocean.
I would like to see greater effort to eliminate nitrogen runoff into the ocean. A greater effort toward solar power, elimination of harmful pesticides, more action to improve air quality, more agriculture production to reduce imported vegetables.
My name is David Dorn,
This is my testimony in favor of the Bill to ban pesticides and chemicals use in parks and roadways (CARE-23).
All chemicals sprayed on parks and roads can find its way into the streams, stormwater runoff and the ocean. These chemicals have the potential to damage our streams, groundwater, and sea life, including damaging our coral reefs.
This bill should include banning the use of toxic herbicides. Including glyphosate-containing herbicides (Roundup), Glyphosate, isoproturon, fluroxypyr, pirimicarb, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, tebuconazole, epoxiconazole, and prochloraz, are among the most damaging, destructive, and harmful of all of the chemicals for the people using them and for the environment.
Glyphosate persistence in seawater = “Glyphosate (roundup) can last in seawater for 315 days”
Glyphosate is one of the most widely applied herbicides globally but its persistence in seawater has not been reported. Here we quantify the biodegradation of glyphosate using standard "simulation" flask tests with native bacterial populations and coastal seawater from the Great Barrier Reef. The half-life for glyphosate at 25 °C in low-light was 47 days, extending to 267 days in the dark at 25 °C and 315 days in the dark at 31 °C, which is the longest persistence reported for this herbicide. Little degradation would be expected during flood plumes in the tropics, which could potentially deliver dissolved and sediment-bound glyphosate far from shore.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24467857/
Agent Orange in Your Backyard: The Harmful Pesticide 2,4-D
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/02/agent-orange-in-your-backyard-the-harmful-pesticide-2-4-d/253506/
Toxicity of Herbicides: Impact on Aquatic and Soil Biota and Human Health
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/44984
Please support this bill, and include banning the use of toxic herbicides as well.
Thank you.
Aloha,
Please consider and pass this most important long term legislation for our sea life and all our island microorganisms that support life in our beautiful parks and beaches. The unseen and sometimes unknown toxins we as humans bring to the flora and fauna have had devastating effects over the years and have physically changed all forms of life on our beaches. As we all know, what had been a thriving shoreline can now be saved from known toxins! Please, it is the right thing to do for all!
Mahalo,
Longtime kupuna resident of the west-side
I support the bill to ban use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers on county properties. I moved to Kihei two years ago and often snorkel at Ulua Beach. I see a lot of invasive algae smothering the reef in shallow areas. Its growth is stimulated by excessive nitrogen from synthetic fertilizers. I am heartbroken to watch honu swim by with huge fibropapillomatosis (tumors) growing on their necks or heads after eating the algae. Roundup and other pesticides poison the soil, they poison the water, they poison the reefs, the fish, and us because we are all connected. What we do to the soil, we do to us. Please limit harm by banning these products.
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is testifying in support of a bill introduced by Council Member Shane Sinenci to exercise Maui County's proprietary function as a property owner and manager, by determining the categories of pesticide and fertilizer allowed for use on County property.
We believe this is critical, as the County is the owner of numerous coastal properties in Maui Nui. For example, the County owns 18 beach parks in South Maui and 10 beach parks in West Maui. Waiehu Municipal Golf Course is also located near Maui’s shoreline.
As a major coastal landowner, Maui County has the responsibility of caring for its lands in a manner that supports the health of our nearshore coral reefs and nearshore ocean water quality, as well as our native fish and marine wildlife, and of course the health of humans who rely upon our coastal waters for recreation, food and cultural connection.
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council supports this bill because it is wrong for the County to use pesticides and herbicides on County property that are linked to coral bleaching, a reduction in coral settlement and metamorphosis, feminization of organisms, fish disease, increased risk of fish predation, reproductive effects, developmental effects, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption.
Herbicides inhibit organisms from photosynthesizing, which is how most corals and phytoplankton get their food and energy to grow and combat stressors such as ocean acidification and climate change. Without phytoplankton (a major food source for fish, rays, and mollusks) food chains would crumble. This photosynthesis process also produces oxygen which is important for the whole reef ecosystem.
The proposed bill takes a very reasonable approach in restricting the County’s use of pesticides and fertilizers to those that are listed as “allowed” on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, with some exceptions, such as allowing the use of pesticides to control fire ants and termites that are destructive to structures, as well as mosquitos and harmful invasive species. Agencies may also apply for an advance waiver to use prohibited pesticides when they feel it is necessary.
This proposed bill comes at a time when more and more alternatives to toxic chemicals are becoming available. Maui County has made some important progress in moving away from toxic chemicals that contaminate our islands’ soil, ground water and coastal waters. For example, the Department of Public Works has been moving away from herbicides and instead converting to weed mats, steam machines, and other methods of weed control. With the recognition of the large amount of land that the County of Maui owns and maintains, particularly along our shorelines, it is time to step up and formalize a move to nontoxic land care methods, to protect our marine ecosystems. Please support passage of the proposed ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING CHAPTER 2.50, MAUl COUNTY CODE.
For my kids, my dog, myself - all of us waking barefoot at the parks, please do not let this poison continue and pass into our bodies and into our aina and ocean.
I would like to see greater effort to eliminate nitrogen runoff into the ocean. A greater effort toward solar power, elimination of harmful pesticides, more action to improve air quality, more agriculture production to reduce imported vegetables.
My name is David Dorn,
This is my testimony in favor of the Bill to ban pesticides and chemicals use in parks and roadways (CARE-23).
All chemicals sprayed on parks and roads can find its way into the streams, stormwater runoff and the ocean. These chemicals have the potential to damage our streams, groundwater, and sea life, including damaging our coral reefs.
This bill should include banning the use of toxic herbicides. Including glyphosate-containing herbicides (Roundup), Glyphosate, isoproturon, fluroxypyr, pirimicarb, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, tebuconazole, epoxiconazole, and prochloraz, are among the most damaging, destructive, and harmful of all of the chemicals for the people using them and for the environment.
Glyphosate persistence in seawater = “Glyphosate (roundup) can last in seawater for 315 days”
Glyphosate is one of the most widely applied herbicides globally but its persistence in seawater has not been reported. Here we quantify the biodegradation of glyphosate using standard "simulation" flask tests with native bacterial populations and coastal seawater from the Great Barrier Reef. The half-life for glyphosate at 25 °C in low-light was 47 days, extending to 267 days in the dark at 25 °C and 315 days in the dark at 31 °C, which is the longest persistence reported for this herbicide. Little degradation would be expected during flood plumes in the tropics, which could potentially deliver dissolved and sediment-bound glyphosate far from shore.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24467857/
Agent Orange in Your Backyard: The Harmful Pesticide 2,4-D
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/02/agent-orange-in-your-backyard-the-harmful-pesticide-2-4-d/253506/
Toxicity of Herbicides: Impact on Aquatic and Soil Biota and Human Health
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/44984
Please support this bill, and include banning the use of toxic herbicides as well.
Thank you.
Aloha,
Please consider and pass this most important long term legislation for our sea life and all our island microorganisms that support life in our beautiful parks and beaches. The unseen and sometimes unknown toxins we as humans bring to the flora and fauna have had devastating effects over the years and have physically changed all forms of life on our beaches. As we all know, what had been a thriving shoreline can now be saved from known toxins! Please, it is the right thing to do for all!
Mahalo,
Longtime kupuna resident of the west-side
I support the bill to ban use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers on county properties. I moved to Kihei two years ago and often snorkel at Ulua Beach. I see a lot of invasive algae smothering the reef in shallow areas. Its growth is stimulated by excessive nitrogen from synthetic fertilizers. I am heartbroken to watch honu swim by with huge fibropapillomatosis (tumors) growing on their necks or heads after eating the algae. Roundup and other pesticides poison the soil, they poison the water, they poison the reefs, the fish, and us because we are all connected. What we do to the soil, we do to us. Please limit harm by banning these products.
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is testifying in support of a bill introduced by Council Member Shane Sinenci to exercise Maui County's proprietary function as a property owner and manager, by determining the categories of pesticide and fertilizer allowed for use on County property.
We believe this is critical, as the County is the owner of numerous coastal properties in Maui Nui. For example, the County owns 18 beach parks in South Maui and 10 beach parks in West Maui. Waiehu Municipal Golf Course is also located near Maui’s shoreline.
As a major coastal landowner, Maui County has the responsibility of caring for its lands in a manner that supports the health of our nearshore coral reefs and nearshore ocean water quality, as well as our native fish and marine wildlife, and of course the health of humans who rely upon our coastal waters for recreation, food and cultural connection.
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council supports this bill because it is wrong for the County to use pesticides and herbicides on County property that are linked to coral bleaching, a reduction in coral settlement and metamorphosis, feminization of organisms, fish disease, increased risk of fish predation, reproductive effects, developmental effects, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption.
Herbicides inhibit organisms from photosynthesizing, which is how most corals and phytoplankton get their food and energy to grow and combat stressors such as ocean acidification and climate change. Without phytoplankton (a major food source for fish, rays, and mollusks) food chains would crumble. This photosynthesis process also produces oxygen which is important for the whole reef ecosystem.
The proposed bill takes a very reasonable approach in restricting the County’s use of pesticides and fertilizers to those that are listed as “allowed” on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, with some exceptions, such as allowing the use of pesticides to control fire ants and termites that are destructive to structures, as well as mosquitos and harmful invasive species. Agencies may also apply for an advance waiver to use prohibited pesticides when they feel it is necessary.
This proposed bill comes at a time when more and more alternatives to toxic chemicals are becoming available. Maui County has made some important progress in moving away from toxic chemicals that contaminate our islands’ soil, ground water and coastal waters. For example, the Department of Public Works has been moving away from herbicides and instead converting to weed mats, steam machines, and other methods of weed control. With the recognition of the large amount of land that the County of Maui owns and maintains, particularly along our shorelines, it is time to step up and formalize a move to nontoxic land care methods, to protect our marine ecosystems. Please support passage of the proposed ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING CHAPTER 2.50, MAUl COUNTY CODE.