Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture Finally Posts Some Data on Pesticide Sales
For the past 2 years, the agency hasn’t implemented a law that requires that data on the sales of restricted-use pesticides in Hawaii be made public.
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that it has 聽some data showing what聽restricted-use pesticides were聽sold in the state last year.
The data聽only specifies what kinds of pesticides were purchased and in what amounts, and doesn’t state who bought them.
The agency posted the information聽after Civil Beat reported that the department hasn’t complied with a 2013 law, Act 105, requiring that all forms submitted to the DOA pertaining to the sale of RUPs be posted online.
Flickr: CGP Grey
The Department of Agriculture聽blamed its lack of enforcement on legal concerns, explaining聽that it is afraid it will be sued if it posts data linking companies or individuals that purchase RUPs to what they purchased.
A spokeswoman for the聽Attorney General explained聽the state is worried聽companies will stop accurately reporting their purchases if the agency complies with the law.
Act 105 was passed during the 2013 legislative session in response to concerns from residents in Kauai about the impact of commercial聽agricultural pesticide use聽on public health and the environment.
The county passed an ordinance in 2013 requiring disclosure of pesticide use but a federal court ruled last fall that only the state聽can regulate agriculture.
But state lawmakers don’t seem聽to be inclined to change the rules.聽A bill in the Legislature to require agricultural companies to report聽when, where and how they actually apply pesticides died this year.
