LIHUE — The Kauai County Council approved a measure Wednesday redefining the tasks and requirements for a group charged with framing a study on pesticides and genetically modified organisms on Kauai. When the 12-member committee, called the Pesticide and Genetic
LIHUE — The Kauai County Council approved a measure Wednesday redefining the tasks and requirements for a group charged with framing a study on pesticides and genetically modified organisms on Kauai.
When the 12-member committee, called the Pesticide and Genetic Engineering Joint Fact Finding Group, does meet, they will determine a number of research topics ranging from scientific studies to project cost estimates and timelines.
But some areas the group will not be asked to take up are economic impacts, food sustainability and environmental justice.
It is one of several changes made to a comprehensive measure that sets forth guidelines to execute an Environmental and Public Health Impacts Study.
Although the measure as a whole was approved unanimously by the seven-member County Council board, many were split on removing or adding specific guidelines.
“There have been strong amendments and I appreciate that, but overall, I am disappointed that the measure has not been stronger than it is today,” said Councilman Gary Hooser, who cast a silent vote on the measure’s passage.
The first amendment, introduced by Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura, sought to strike the examination and reporting of “findings related to issues dealing with economic impacts, food sustainability and environmental justice,” as one of the tasks for the group.
Including those subjects, Yukimura said, broadens the study significantly and could increase the cost of the study. Separate studies, she said, can be commissioned later for those research areas.
“I think this provision violates the whole spirit of the EPHIS, which is to lead the setting of priorities for what the study is to cover to the joint fact finding group,” Yukimura said. “Instead, this appears to dictate what the committee should look at, and in my opinion, could jeopardize the whole purpose of the EPHIS.”
Kauai Farm Bureau President Jerry Ornellas agreed and testified that those research areas are too vague and could be open to interpretations.
A similar study, he said, should have been done before Bill 2491, now Ordinance 960, was approved by the County Council last year.
“We’re trying to develop a road map now after we’ve already embarked on a journey,” Ornellas said. “We’re trying to make up the rules as we go along and that’s going to be very difficult.”
In response to Yukimura’s proposal, Council Vice Chair Mason K. Chock, Sr. introduced his own amendment to make it optional for the fact finding group to consider “economic impacts, food sustainability and environmental justice” in their research.
“I’m committed to see that these items stay intact on the resolution,” he said.
But Yukimura’s amendment was approved by a 4-3 vote with Hooser, Bynum and Chock casting the dissenting votes. Chock, as a result, withdrew his amendment.
Hooser later put forth his own amendment seeking to exclude from the group those “employed by or receiving any compensation or financial benefit from any entity directly impacted by Ordinance 960,” but it too failed.
The floor amendment, Hooser said, would have included those “directly involved in any litigation currently pending involving any entity directly impacted by Ordinance 960.”
“Paid employees, I think, will cloud the ultimate outcome of the study,” Hooser said.
But not everybody agreed.
“To exclude the companies is excluding a major stakeholder,” Yukimura said before casting her vote. “I believe they need to be a part of the discussion.”
Hooser’s amendment failed by a 4-3 vote with Yukimura, Council Chair Jay Furfaro, Councilman Mel Rapozo and Councilman Ross Kagawa casting the dissenting votes.
A date hasn’t been set for when the fact finding group will begin its work.
