Monsanto, Syngenta and other seed companies that farm in Hawaii won a significant victory after a federal appeals court ruled that counties can’t regulate pesticides or genetically modified crops.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded [November 18] that Hawaii state pesticide law is comprehensive, and that the Legislature intended it to be “uniform and exclusive of additional, local rules.”
[T]he rulings… apply to nine states on the West Coast and two island territories….
That means county ordinances governing agriculture that were overturned by a federal judge in 2014 and 2015 will not go into effect.
They include Bill 2491 on Kauai, which would have required large companies to disclose what pesticides they apply and where, as well as abide by buffer zones; a law on the Big Island banning new genetically modified crops; and a voter initiative in Maui County that sought to impose a moratorium on genetically engineered farming.
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Syngenta spokeswoman Laurie Yoshida said the company is happy with the results and continues to voluntarily report its pesticide use on Kauai through the Good Neighbor Program.
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Attorney George Kimbrell from the Center for Food Safety, which defended the county regulations, called the rulings on state preemption disappointing. He said the organization is still analyzing the decisions and considering its legal options.
NOTE: The linked article includes a full transcript of the ruling.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Hawaii GMO Seed Companies Win Big In Appeals Court Rulings
