LIHUE — The Kauai County Council is reconsidering a measure that may change the tasks for a specialized group charged with framing a study on pesticides and genetically modified organisms on Kauai. That measure, passed on the heels of Bill
LIHUE — The Kauai County Council is reconsidering a measure that may change the tasks for a specialized group charged with framing a study on pesticides and genetically modified organisms on Kauai.
That measure, passed on the heels of Bill 2491, sets forth guidelines for a group of at least 12 people to lay the groundwork for an Environmental and Public Health Impacts Study.
At issue, Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura said, is a section that includes 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.
These tasks, according to the approved bill, includes identifying “the highest priority environmental and public health questions” on GMO and pesticide use and estimating the costs and timelines of any proposed scientific studies.
“This greatly enlarges the scope of the EPHIS beyond the issues raised by the bulk of public testimony on Bill 2491 to the point where, I believe, it jeopardizes the integrity of the EPHIS,” Yukimura wrote in a Dec. 31 memo to fellow council members. “I believe (it) will politicize the process when we are trying to find consensus.”
Councilman Gary Hooser, who included the disputed tasks in a package of amendments before the measure received County Council approval, said the move to recall it is unreasonable.
Striking out economic impacts, food sustainability and environmental justice from the fact-finding group’s scope of work, he said, would undermine a key purpose for the county-funded study.
“Clearly, the (seed) industry has huge impacts on our economy and sustainability issues on this island and this should be studied as a part of this process as well,” Hooser said. “I think it’s short-sighted to limit ourselves and we should look at the whole picture.”
The County Council deferred the resolution for a second time on Wednesday so that all council members could be present to review and consider the amendment, said Council Vice Chair Mason Chock.
One concern, Yukimura wrote, is that including the disputed topics in the group’s scope of work could stretch the budget allocated for a county-funded consultant to carry out the areas of study identified by the group.
At least $100,000 has been allocated to pay for the hiring of a facilitator, who will be tasked with convening what is named the “Pesticide and Genetic Engineering Joint Fact Finding Group.”
The money hasn’t been released.
The County Council will reconsider the measure during its Feb. 5 public meeting, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Historic County Building’s Council Chambers.
