HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

255

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO ESTABLISH AN AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDE DISPOSAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

 

 

WHEREAS, responsible environmental stewardship requires management and supervision of the safe collection and lawful disposal of banned, outdated, or unwanted pesticides; and

WHEREAS, although it is illegal to dispose of agricultural pesticides in sanitary landfills, there are currently no options for disposal of these substances within the state; and

WHEREAS, a Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program (Disposal Program) would promote a safer and cleaner Hawaii environment by reducing the amount of pesticides that, without such a program, could potentially contaminate the drinking water, groundwater, streams, rivers, and land across the state; and

WHEREAS, pesticide users who control pests in and around structures are confronted with similar challenges in the disposal of their containers and it is desirable to extend the promotion of a safer and cleaner Hawaii environment by including these containers in a Disposal Program as well; and

WHEREAS, according to a recent United States Environmental Protection Agency publication on pesticide disposal programs nationwide, there are currently 33 states with permanent programs and 13 others working toward establishing permanent programs in their states; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Agriculture (DOA) is requested to establish a Disposal Program to provide an available, affordable, and environmentally accessible mechanism by which any farmer in the state can properly dispose of unwanted or unusable pesticides; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOA is requested to secure adequate funding, including federal or state sources to support this urgently-needed environmental stewardship effort; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Pesticide Advisory Committee in the DOA is requested to study the establishment of the proposed Disposal Program, in consultation with:

(1) A representative from each county; and

(2) A representative from the pesticide industry;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Pesticides Advisory Committee is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the DOA, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Department of Health, and the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

 

 

Report Title:

Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program