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90 different pesticide formulations.
Sprayed 2 to 3 times a week.
Up to 16 times a day.
No mandatory disclosure or notifications.
No regular monitoring.
LAWSUITS against three counties to protect their right to spray.
These are the dangerous pesticide practices we detail in our new animated video Pesticides in Paradise.
In the absence of state and federal protection, the counties of Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Island, and Maui passed laws to protect the health of our keiki and ‘āina from pesticide-promoting genetically engineered (GE) crops. But agrichemical companies have sued all these counties to overturn these protections, and the fight for home rule is currently ongoing in the courts.
And now, Representatives in the Hawai‘i State Legislature are introducing a so-called “right-to-farm” bill that in reality is just an attempt to protect their right-to-spray toxic pesticides.
Due to Hawai‘i’s warm, windy climate and the frequent spray schedule, pesticide drift is a major concern for families living in neighborhoods with pesticide promoting genetically engineered (GE) crop field test sites.
Based on findings from over 150 medical and scientific studies, we know that the restricted-use pesticides used by agrichemical companies in Hawai‘i are linked to human health harms, especially for children, including asthma, autism, adverse birth outcomes and cancers. Scientists have also shown that low-level, chronic exposure to toxic pesticides may increase the risks of various serious diseases including cancer, autism, Parkinson’s disease, and childhood leukemia.
If passed, this industry-backed bill will jeopardize the health and safety of communities across the state in order to protect the rights of corporations to apply hazardous pesticides without local oversight.
Each island is different. Each county should determine its own rules. Tell your Hawai‘i legislators to oppose “right-to-spray” legislation!
For more information, please read the new report Pesticides in Paradise: Hawai’i’s Health & Environment at Risk
As a resource for communities across the islands, HCFS is offering free presentations of the report’s key findings, and we encourage you to sign-up for a presentation in your neighborhood or for your organization - Sign up here.
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