The state Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with Kauai County, plans to examine possible health and environmental impacts associated with the use of pesticides applied to genetically modified organism products, officials said Tuesday.

Honolulu planner and mediator Peter Adler has been selected to lead the examination, the state and county said in a news release.

Kauai County will be a full partner in the project by providing funding support and collaborating with the state and the consultant throughout the process, according to the release. The $100,000 in funding is being equally shared by the county and the state department.

Adler is expected to convene a working group of experts familiar with the subject matter to gather facts pertinent to the specific issue being studied, according to the release.

"This is an important effort that could be used in other counties to address both the controversial and divisive issues surrounding pesticides and the cultivation of genetically modified crops, as well as other science-intensive political questions," Scott Enright, chairman of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture, said in a statement.

Sen. Russell Ruderman (D, Puna), chairman of the Senate Agricultural Committee, said the examination of GMO pesticides has been long overdue.

"I’m glad someone’s looking into it," Ruderman, who also owns Island Naturals Market and Deli organic grocery store in Puna, said in a telephone interview. "I think it’s something that’s way overdue, and I hope that it’s honest and objective and not tainted by special interests."

Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho applauded the initiative.

"For the past year we’ve been working with the state and the seed companies to hold all entities accountable for addressing these issues," Carvalho said.

Kauai County was at the center of the GMO debate last year after the County Council passed a measure requiring large farms to disclose pesticide use and growth of genetically modified crops. After Mayor Bernard Carvalho’s veto of the bill was overridden by the Council, the matter was taken to court, where U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren overturned the ordinance.

An appeal of Kurren’s ruling filed in September by Kauai County and four nonprofit organizations opposed to GMOs is pending.

The GMO debate has raged statewide. Last month Kurren issued a similar ruling on Hawaii island, deciding that Hawaii County can’t enforce a law restricting genetically engineered crops because it is pre-empted by state law. Voters on Maui last month adopted a charter amendment temporarily banning genetically engineered crops.

Adler said he plans to seek nine or more individuals to voluntarily serve on the working group. The project is expected to start in January and be completed by the end of 2015.