HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

134

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

urging the department of agriculture to require full disclosure of all chemical and genetic modification actions to the public and legislature when companies conduct any open air field testing on genetically modified organisms.

 

 

WHEREAS, Hawaii has more genetic engineering test sites per square mile than any other state in the nation, with over 166 United States Department of Agriculture permitted field tests in 2003, and an unknown number of United States Environmental Protection Agency experimental use permits, which allow crops to be planted on thousands of acres on four islands; and

WHEREAS, the genetic engineering of crops to create genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is a relatively new science that is being developed faster than studies can be performed to evaluate the long-term effects of allergens, pollen drift, and viral mutations on our health, environment, and economy; and

WHEREAS, the unintended releases of pollen containing genetic marker genes into the environment may be inevitable and irreversible when open-air tests of GMO's are conducted; and

WHEREAS, corn, the most widely genetically engineered crop in Hawaii, has pollen that is almost impossible to contain and protect from the wind, rain, birds, bees, and other insect pollinators, and is scientifically documented to drift two or more miles away from the plantings; and

WHEREAS, genetic engineering may have unforeseen effects on Hawaii's precious and fragile native ecosystems and the biodiversity of our sensitive island environments such as by remaining in the soil and sediment, raising resistance rates of weeds and pests, and contaminating aquifers and fresh waterways; and

WHEREAS, the contamination of genetic materials to other crops may affect non-GMO farmers' livelihoods because many countries block imports of genetically modified products due to health, environmental, and agricultural safety concerns arising from the lack of verifiable safety data; and

WHEREAS, there are no regulatory agencies that require adequate safety data from the biotechnology industry prior to marketing or field trials, and therefore, no incentives exist for the industry to sponsor safety studies; and

WHEREAS, if the regulatory agencies do not assess the safety of open-air testing of GMOs on our islands, the potential risks and benefits of each genetically modified crop should be assessed by the community where the crop is located; and

WHEREAS, the locations of open-air GMO field test sites are currently kept private by the biotechnology companies that conduct the experiments as "confidential business information"; and

WHEREAS, full disclosure of the locations of each open-air field test site of genetic modification activity and what chemicals are being used is essential for the community to make informed decisions to protect themselves from the potential effects of GMOs on human health, our environment, and agriculture; 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 is urged to require all companies that conduct open air testing of genetically modified organisms to fully disclose all chemical and genetic modification actions to the public and the Legislature; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Urging the Department of Agriculture to require disclosure of open air field testing of genetically modified organisms.