Kauai Limits Use of Pesticides on Genetically Modified Crops

Legislators on the Hawaiian island of Kauai approved have approved a bill that would restrict the use of pesticides by companies developing genetically modified crops on the island.  The Kauai County Council voted 6-to-1 to pass the bill on October 16^th after a hearing that lasted a day and a half.

The island has become a popular place for growing new varieties of corn and other genetically modified crops for the production of seeds due to its warm weather allowing for three corn harvests a year.  DuPont Pioneer, Sygenta, Dow, and BASF all grow corn on the island.

The bill would establish no-spray zones around schools, medical facilities, homes, public roads, and waterways.  It would also require seed companies to disclose which pesticides they use.  The original bill would have also limited genetically modified crop planting, but those provisions were eventually removed from the bill after seed companies argued that the original bill would have forced them off the island.  Seed companies also threatened to challenge the original bill in court.

The text of the original bill can be found here.  The New York Times article reporting the bill approval can be found here.

Written by Alyssa Looney – Research Assistant

The Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center

@PSUAgLawCenter

October 25, 2013