Source: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2018/bills/SB3095_SD1_.HTM
Timestamp: 2019-12-10 12:55:34
Document Index: 409310016

Matched Legal Cases: ['§149', '§149', '§149', '§149', '§149', '§149', '§149', '§149']

In 2013, the department of agriculture began the Kauai agricultural good neighbor program to collect and publish information regarding outdoor usage of restricted use pesticides by large-scale, commercial agricultural operations in the county of Kauai. The program has since been expanded statewide.
The purpose of this Act is to protect the State's children from the unintended impacts of large-scale agricultural restricted use pesticide use by requiring the department of agriculture to:
(1) Establish a pilot program for vegetative buffer zones, as recommended by the Joint Fact Finding Study Group, around selected schools within the State; and
(2) Develop and implement a pesticide drift monitoring study at three schools selected to participate in the pilot program for vegetative buffer zones.
"Part . vegetative buffer zones pilot program
"Candidate pilot farm" means any commercial agricultural entity that has been determined by the department, based upon a review of records of purchases of restricted use pesticides, to be among the top five agricultural users of restricted use pesticides on each of the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Hawaii, and Molokai.
"Pilot farm" means each commercial agricultural entity from the group of candidate pilot farms on each island that is designated by the department to participate in the vegetative buffer zone pilot program by virtue of its location relative to a participating school.
§149A-B Selection of pilot centers and pilot farm. Within six months following the effective date of this Act, the department shall designate ten individual schools, including one on each of the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Hawaii, and Molokai, as pilot centers for vegetative buffer zones. The selected schools shall be chosen by the department based on the schools' close proximity to one or more candidate pilot farms. The department shall review the list of candidate pilot farms and shall designate for participation as a pilot farm those most likely to impact the selected schools.
§149A-C Acceptable vegetation for vegetative buffer zones. (a) Within one year following the effective date of this Act, the department, in consultation with the University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources, shall establish a list of acceptable plants to be cultivated in vegetative buffer zones under the pilot program established pursuant to section 149A-B.
§149A-D Restrictions on restricted use pesticide applications in buffer zones. (a) Within one year of the effective date of this Act, the department shall establish minimum distances from any school designated as a pilot center under 149A-B within which a pilot farm shall be prohibited from making an outdoor application of a restricted use pesticide. The specified distances shall be established by the department based upon the formulation and toxicity category of the restricted use pesticide, the method of application, and other relevant factors.
(b) The restriction in subsection (a) shall be a minimum standard. If this section, or any part thereof, is determined to conflict with any information contained in the labels of the pesticide or other regulation, the more restrictive standard on pesticide application shall apply.
§149A-E Continuous vegetative buffer zones required. (a) Effective one year following the designation of the ten schools pursuant to section 149A-B, any pilot farm shall maintain a continuous buffer zone that is cultivated with acceptable perennially-rooted vegetation, derived from the list of plants designated by the department pursuant to section 149A-C, in the buffer zone around school grounds where no pesticide application is allowed, as described in section 149A-D(a). The continuous buffer zone shall be maintained for a period of no less than one year after being established or for the duration of the pilot program, whichever is longer.
(b) The restrictions in subsection (a) shall be a minimum standard. If this section, or any part thereof, is determined to conflict with any information contained in the labels of the pesticide or other regulation, the more restrictive standard on pesticide application shall apply.
(c) The department shall annually report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session on the effectiveness of the pilot program and whether the pilot program should be discontinued, extended for a fixed period of time, or made permanent.
§149A-F Identification of pilot farm application site and provision of site plan. (a) Any pilot farm that is subject to this part shall ensure that, prior to any outdoor application of restricted use pesticides, the application site is positively identified using a unique and verifiable method, including:
(b) Any pilot farm that is subject to this part, prior to any application of restricted use pesticides, shall provide the certified pesticide applicator, commercial pesticide applicator, private pesticide applicator, or pest control operator with a site plan that includes a site map that:
(2) Depicts the locations of school grounds of any school designated under section 149A-B; and
§149A-G Exemptions. (a) Notwithstanding sections 149A-D and 149A-E to the contrary any pilot farm may obtain from the department a single use exemption from the prohibition on outdoor applications of restricted use pesticides in vegetative buffer zones around school grounds, as provided in subsection (b).
(b) The department shall issue a single use exemption under this section if it determines that:
(1) The pest situation poses an immediate threat to human health and the environment, the vegetation growing within the vegetative buffer zone, or severe loss to the pilot farm;
(2) There is no viable alternative to the use of the proposed pesticide; and
(3) Acceptable measures will be implemented to minimize the potential for pesticide drift from the application.
§149A-H Structural or termite application of pesticides. Nothing in this part shall be construed to prohibit the use of structural or termite application of pesticides, regardless of whether the applications are applied in or outside of a building or enclosed structure.
§149A-I Drift study. Within one year of the effective date of this Act, the department shall develop and implement a pesticide drift monitoring study to evaluate pesticide drift at three of the schools participating in the pilot program. The department shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2020."
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the pesticide drift monitoring study to be implemented pursuant to section 149A-I, Hawaii Revised Statutes, as established pursuant to section 2 of this Act.
Agriculture; Large-scale Agricultural Operations; Pilot Program; Vegetative Buffer Zone; Appropriation