Great news from the Capitol yesterday!
by
Jeri Di Pietro on 10 February 2006 for GMO Free Kauai
One of our bills, HB
3218, passed the first committee yesterday. We received
75 letters of testimony, about half were from our side in support
of the bill. Seven members from GMO Free Hawai`i flew in to Honolulu
to testify in person. About seven people from the pro biotech side
testified in person also. It was amazing to hear all the names of
the folks who sent in testimony as they are read allowed, followed
by 'in support'! Big Mahalo for everyone who sent in testimony, it
certainly helped tip the scale in our favor. You all are great! We
worked with Rep. Mele Carroll, the author of the bill, after the hearing
to fine tune the language and make the bill more likely to pass the
next committee.
We will keep you posted on the next hearing, your same testimony can
be sent again or you can change it slightly.
Our next big hearing is on the Senate bill by Gary Hooser, seeking
to ban genetic modification of Kalo (taro). This bill will be heard
on February 25 (a Saturday).
Senator Hooser scheduled it for a Saturday in hopes that many folks
will be able to testify in person. GMO Free Hawai`i members plan to
be present for this hearing. Please be thinking of your testimony
for this bill, SB 2749. We will keep you posted as the time gets closer.
Please remember the folks at the Public Access Room are on site at
the capitol to help all of us in any way possible. They make sure
that testimony sent in from the outer islands, is printed and delivered
to the committee. They are available to answer any of you questions,
at any time. They are our advocates in Honolulu! The toll free number
from Kaua`i is 274 3141.
I want to express our deepest and most sincere mahalo to all of you.
Your written support, no matter how brief in length, helped to get
this over the hump! Well done Hawai`i, mahalo for standing up and
participating in this process and your kokua is helping to malama
`aina.
HB 3218 Requires persons proposing to engage in testing, propagating,
cultivating, and growing GMOs to notify Dept of Health and obtain a
certification from State Department of Health.
Introducer(s):
CARROLL, MORITA, SAIKI, WATERS, Arakaki, Berg, Chong, Kahikina, Schatz,
Tanaka, Tsuji, Yamashita. Current Referral: EEP, EDB/AGR, CPC
Report Title:
Genetically Modified Organisms; DOH Notification and Certification
Description:
Requires persons proposing to engage in testing, propagating,
cultivating, and growing GMOs to notify DOH and obtain a certification
from DOH
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESH.B. NO. 3218
TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to Genetically Modified Organisms
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1.
Section 321-11.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"[[]§321-11.6[]] Genetically modified organisms[.]; notification
and certification.
(a)
Any person who proposes to research, test, propagate, cultivate, grow,
or produce any genetically modified organisms shall:
(1) Notify the department of the person's intent to conduct these
activities; and
(2) Obtain certification from the department prior to conducting these
activities.
(b)
The department shall examine and evaluate each proposed genetically
modified organism research project; testing, propagating, cultivating,
or growing technique; or product for its risk to public health and
to the environment. The department shall issue certification of approval
after determining that the proposed genetically modified organism
research, testing, propagating, cultivating, growing, or production
does not pose a risk to public health or the environment. The certification
shall include information on:
(1) What organism will be researched, tested, cultivated, propagated,
grown, or produced;
(2) The person or company proposing to conduct the genetically modified
organism-related activities;
(3) How many organisms will be researched, tested, cultivated, propagated,
grown, or produced;
(4) The purpose of the genetically modified organism-related activities;
(5) The location of the genetically modified organism-related activities;
and
(6) Any other information the department may deem necessary.
All certifications shall be available to the public at the department's
office or on the department's website.
(c) Any applicant to any federal agency for any permit
for or approval of any bioproduct, field testing of genetically modified
organisms, or environmental impact assessment of genetically modified
organisms shall submit one copy of that application to the department,
at the same time that the application is submitted to the federal
agency.
(d) The department shall adopt rules pursuant to
chapter 91 to implement this section.
(e) As used in this section:
"Genetically modified organism" means a life form or its
living progeny that has been altered at the nucleic acid level, using
the techniques collectively referred to as recombinant DNA technology.
"Recombinant DNA technology" means the transfer of genes,
regulatory sequences, or nucleic acid between hosts by the use of
vectors or laboratory manipulations and include the insertion, excision,
duplication, inactivation, or relocation of specific genes, regulatory
sequences, or sections of nucleic acid. This term does not apply to
material or an organism developed exclusively through traditional
methods of breeding, hybridization, or nondirected mutagenesis."
SECTION 2.
Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory
material is underscored.
SECTION 3.
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Passed
House Committee on
Energy and Environmental Protection
VOTES:
Yes (7): Chair Mina Morita, Vice Chair Cindy Evans,
Lyla Berg, Mele Carroll, Tommy Waters, Brian Schatz. Yes, With Reservations:
Kymberly Pine
No (2): Ezra Kanoho, Cynthia Thielen
Excused (1): Bev Harbin
Rep Cynthia Thielen (my paraphrasing): Voted no because location of
GE crops must be made public in order to establish buffer zone around
organic fields. Hugh bureaucracy not needed at DOH to carry out monitoring.
TESTIMONY:
Anti (12): CTAHR, Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawaii
Farm Bureau, Hawaii Agricultural Research Center, Hawaii Crop Improvement
Association, Hawaii Science & Technology Council, Bruce McBrantley
(Monsanto), HARTS, Department of Health, Board of Agriculture, Kevin
Kelly, Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) (Oppose because DOH, DLNR
and OHA should be part of the permitting process).
Pro (56): Conservation Council of Hawaii, EarthJustice,
Kahea, Noreen Parks, Una Greenaway, Greg Jones, Kristine Kubat, Maris
Abelson, Margery Freeman, William Duffy, Kristian Hunt, Adriana E.
Duerr, David Caccia, Nadine Newlight, Mark Query, Jennifer Snyder,
Amala Codling Duignam, Donna Mitts, Dee Anne Domnick, Sarah Sullivan,
Janice Palma-Glennie, Ambika Kosada, Josephine Keliipio, Joe Conti,
HOFA, Heather Nobriga, Russell Ruderman, Catherine Carter & Philip
M. Dwyer, Caren Diamond, Eloise Engman, Richard Mealey, Bodhitara
Diane Searles, James G Trujillo & Maria Walker (Manule`a Farms),
Marta Greenleaf, Tony Kilbert, Lorrin Pang MD MPH, Valerie Herrmann,
Sunny Erickson, Aimee Moorhead, Elizabeth Kilpatrick, Steve Mann,
Nancy Redfeather, Esta Marshall, Jeri De Pietro, Mary C. Egbert, Grady
Keystone, Michaela Boudreaux, Ingrid Tillman, Melissa Stibbard, Malia
Holmes, Will Fulton & Diane Sanders, Steve Sparks, John Parziale,
Tracey Schavone, Sierra Club, Life of the Land. |
