Large agribusinesses on Kauai have started following a state Department of Agriculture voluntary program to disclose pesticide use and establish buffer zones for spraying.
Companies are setting up meetings with officials of neighboring schools, medical facilities and residential properties to address concerns about pesticide use under the Kauai Agricultural Good Neighbor Program, which took effect Sunday.
Five companies covered by the voluntary program — Syngenta, DuPont Pioneer, BASF, Dow AgroSciences and Kauai Coffee, the largest coffee grower in the state — also are establishing buffer zones along certain neighboring properties.
Company representatives say the voluntary program established by the Department of Agriculture’s Pesticides Branch is a practical way to address concerns, but supporters of a Kauai ordinance, Bill 2491, which regulates pesticide use and farming of genetically modified food, say the state program doesn’t go far enough.
They say the program is weak because it is voluntary, while the new law imposes disclosure, buffer zones and penalties for violators. An example of the difference is the size of buffer zones near schools, medical facilities and residential properties. The program sets a minimum 100-foot buffer zone compared with a 500-foot zone under the ordinance.
On Dec. 18, Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. is due to present a timeline for implementing the ordinance.
Kauai Councilman Gary Hooser, who co-introduced Bill 2491, criticized the state program’s minimum 100-foot buffer zones. "It’s woefully inadequate," he said. "Even 500 feet in the bill needs to be greater, but 100 feet is totally unacceptable. Our laws are not voluntary."
Under the state program’s guidelines, companies also may submit monthly reports to the Pesticides Branch to disclose the type and amount of restricted-use pesticides sprayed on their fields. They may also include the total number of acres sprayed and the products’ registration numbers with the Environmental Protection Agency.
The first monthly report is due Jan. 15.
Under the ordinance, companies are mandated to submit weekly disclosure reports of both restricted-use and general-use pesticides. Companies also are required to provide information on the date, amount, EPA registration number, total acreage, wind speed and direction and other detailed information at the time of pesticide application.
Fern Rosenstiel of Ohana o Kauai said residents likely will not get the information they need through the program to protect the community from pesticide exposure.
As of Wednesday, Pesticides Branch Chief Thomas K. Matsuda said BASF has informed the state of its plan to adhere to the program’s guidelines.
Alicia Maluafiti, executive director of the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, which represents biotech companies, maintains that the four biotech companies on Kauai support the program. "They embraced it 100 percent," she said.
Syngenta said it already exceeds the buffer zone guidelines. For years the zones near schools, residences and medical facilities have extended 500 feet or more from their property, spokesman Mark Phillipson said in a news release.
DuPont Pioneer spokeswoman Laurie Yoshida said company officials plan to meet with officials at Kekaha Elementary School as well as two charter schools in Kekaha. Though its overall intent is to follow the program’s guidelines, the company contends the buffer zones are arbitrary as its use of pesticides and growth of genetically modified organisms are regulated by federal agencies.
BASF has met with Waimea High School and plans to meet with public and charter schools in Kekaha. Company representatives will also soon meet with Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital officials to inform them of pesticide use practices.
Kirby Kester, BASF applied genetics manager, praised the state: "We appreciate the state’s leadership and work in offering fair, balanced and legally sound solutions at a time when division and the spread of misinformation have plagued Kauai."
Supporters say Bill 2491 was introduced because of the state’s failure to address concerns about pesticide exposure affecting isle residents and the environment.
In mid-November the County Council overrode the mayor’s veto of Bill 2491. Carvalho had cited legal concerns that state and federal regulations pre-empt the county’s authority to enact laws to regulate pesticides and genetically modified organisms.
