Maui Councilwoman Ellie Cochran plans to submit a bill to the Maui County Council that would require agricultural companies to disclose details about their pesticide use, while farmers would have to report any genetically modified crops they are growing.
While the bill isn’t intended to specifically target biotech companies, Cochran says, they would be the most affected by the legislation. Companies that use more than five pounds or fifteen gallons of restricted use pesticides would be required to report what chemicals they spray, where and in what quantities, or face up to $25,000 in civil fines.
The bill would apply to all of Maui County, including the island of Molokai, where both Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences operate and collectively employ nearly 200 people.
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In an attempt to preempt the proposed bill, Monsanto forged a deal with Maui’s Mayor Alan Arakawa that “promises to disclose details about its pesticide use and community outreach,” but Councilwoman Cochran says that the “understanding” does not go far enough.
Read the full, original story here: Maui May Become Hawaii’s Next Battlefield Over GMOs and Pesticides
