State lawmakers are considering how to rein in the use of heavy pesticides in Hawaiʻi following concerns about their impacts on people and non-target species.
Restricted use pesticides, or RUPs, are used in areas around Hawaiʻi, but 2019 data from the state Department of Agriculture revealed the application of nearly 290,000 pounds of RUPs on Oʻahu, mostly in Central Oʻahu from the Wahiawā to Waialua areas.
Fern Holland, a newly elected Kauaʻi County councilmember and environmental scientist, presented the data in a presentation to state lawmakers on Monday.
The health and environmental hazards of RUPs have led to an interest in creating or strengthening local pesticide regulations.
“The reason that the state plays such an important role in the regulation of restricted use pesticides is that we see on the federal level that there really is a lack of independent study and regulation,” Holland said.
She added that the federal government, “ instead of proving that there is no harm, you just basically release things and wait until there is evidence that there is harm.”
Nearly two dozen different RUPs were used in 2019 in Central Oʻahu. Some are known or possible carcinogens, while others can cause reproductive or developmental issues. Some are water contaminants, and 15 are toxic to aquatic life.
About a dozen are banned in multiple countries, including the herbicide known as Paraquat, which is banned in 58 countries.
One of the most used pesticides in the area that year was Telone II, which is meant to control roundworms and other soil pests. However, it’s a carcinogen that causes respiratory issues, nausea, dizziness and vomiting. The chemical is banned in 34 countries.
Advocates and experts want more pesticides to be listed as RUPs, which have reporting requirements and can only be used with a certification from the state Agriculture Department.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, which in 2012 published a report on the exposure of pesticides to children, supports policy changes.
Dr. Lee Evslin, a Kauaʻi pediatrician and a representative for AAP’s Hawaiʻi chapter, in Monday’s briefing, said the organization is interested in more public information about RUPs used in public spaces, along with “pesticide-free areas around schools and places that people congregate — so buffer zones, essentially.”
Some of the heavy pesticides used in 2019 in Central Oʻahu were applied within a mile of areas where people live.
