HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

109

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the department of education TO REPORT its CURRENT usage and plans for FUTURE usage of glyphosate AND glyphosate-CONTAINING HERBICIDES ON and around Department of education PROPERTIES, INCLUDING schoolS AND PLAYgrounds.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, glyphosate, a general use pesticide, is one of the most common chemicals used for functional and aesthetic landscaping purposes throughout the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluated the carginogenic risks of glyphosate, and IARC Monograph 112, published in 2017, classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans, stating that there is limited evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of glyphosate, and a positive association has been observed for non-Hodgkin lymphoma; and

 

WHEREAS, IARC Monograph 112 further stated that there is sufficient evidence of the carcinogenicity of glyphosate in experimental animals to conclude that a causal relationship has been established between exposure to the agent and human cancer; and

 

WHEREAS, in 2017, the State of California added glyphosate to a list of chemicals recognized as carcinogens in the California Labor Code and under California's Proposition 65, also known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986; and

 

WHEREAS, in 2018, a California trial court upheld an award of $78.5 million in damages to a school groundskeeper after a jury determined he contracted non-Hodgkin lymphoma through his repeated exposure to the glyphosate-containing herbicides he applied throughout the school district; and

WHEREAS, at least sixty-one cities, counties, and communities across twenty-two states have moved to voluntarily halt or restrict the usage of glyphosate, developed integrated pest management policies restricting pesticide use, or banned the use of glyphosate on public lands due to the possible environmental and human health risks; and

 

WHEREAS, the State's commitment to the health and safety of schoolchildren is expressed in its passage of Act 45, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, which prohibits the use of restricted use pesticides on or within one hundred feet of a school property during normal school hours; and

 

WHEREAS, based on currently available facts and information, and as a precautionary measure to better understand whether the policy concerning the use of glyphosate on or near school grounds is warranted, further information is needed on the current usage and applications and any existing departmental policies regarding the purchase, use, handling, and storage of glyphosate and glyphosate-containing herbicides within school properties; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, that the Department of Education is requested to report its current usage, and plans for future usage, of glyphosate and glyphosate-containing herbicides on and around Department of Education properties, including school grounds and playgrounds; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report detail the purchase, usage, application, handling, and storage of glyphosate and glyphosate-containing herbicides, including the volumes of glyphosate and glyphosate-containing herbicides purchased on an annual basis; amounts of glyphosate and glyphosate-containing herbicides administered on and around Department of Education properties by Department employees on an annual basis; timetables of application, including frequency of application and allowable days of the week and times of day for application; and training requirements imposed on Department employees prior to application to ensure correct use; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education report any existing departmental policies, and any plans to phase out the use of glyphosate or glyphosate-containing herbicides on Department properties, including phase-out timetables, and potential or actual replacement herbicides; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit its report containing its findings to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2020; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education and the Assistant Superintendent of the Office of School Facilities and Support Services.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Department of Education; Glyphosate;