Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, March 15, 2018
DoA Pesticide Report: Science vs Hysteria
By News Release @ 2:21 PM :: 7783 Views :: Environment, Agriculture, Hawaii Statistics, GMOs

INITIAL DATA RELEASED ON PESTICIDES IN SURFACE WATER
Six-Month Monitoring Levels Meet State & Federal Water Quality Standards

News Release from Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Mar 14, 2018

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) and the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) have announced the release of data collected during an initial six-month period of monitoring for pesticides in surface water on Oahu and Kauai. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting the study which collected 32 water samples at 31 sites between November 2016 and April 2017 and produced 7,200 test results.

The USGS tests screened each sample for 225 pesticides and all the results were within state and federal regulatory water quality standards. Thirty-one of the 32 samples detected one or more pesticides; however, a large majority of the detections were at trace levels that were at least 10 times lower than the federal benchmark to be protective of human health and aquatic life. Sixty-one different pesticide compounds (37 pesticides and 24 pesticide degradates) were detected at least once. (Degradates are chemicals found as pesticides break down and degrade).

The study was ordered in 2016 by HDOA and DOH in a $520,000 joint funding agreement with the USGS to provide a science-based water monitoring program and was part of Gov. Ige’s statewide pesticides initiative to help to address community concerns about pesticide use in the state. The leadership of the Hawaii State Senate and the House have also been supportive of this effort. The full report may be viewed at: sciencebase.gov

“This multi-year surface water study goes a long way towards assuring the citizenry of Hawaii that pesticides are continuing to be used properly,” said Scott Enright, chairperson of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture.

During the monitoring period, water samples were taken during various water flow conditions, including low-flow (dry weather conditions) and high-flow (storm) conditions. Sampling areas included agricultural lands, urban and developed lands, and mixed land use.

The second year of the study is already underway with pesticide monitoring being expanded to sites on Maui and Hawaii Island. In addition, USGS will retest sites on Oahu and Kauai where detections were near the benchmark levels.

Other noteworthy findings during the study period:

• Chlorpyrifos was detected in two Honouliuli stream samples collected during the same high-flow storm event. The highest concentration of 23.3 ng/l is below the state water quality standard of 83 ng/l and the strictest acute benchmark of 50 ng/l for the protection of freshwater invertebrates. HDOA is currently in the process of restricting the use of chlorpyrifos by reclassifying it to a restricted-use pesticide (RUP) which will allow its use by only state-certified applicators. The proposed restrictions will mirror what California has done and includes required buffer zone. These rules are anticipated to be finalized by this summer.

• Concentrations of flubendiamide in high-flow samples collected at two sites on Oahu exceeded the lowest federal aquatic-life benchmark. Flubendiamide is an insecticide that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently in the process of cancelling its use due to the risk to aquatic invertebrates and aquatic environments.

• Atrazine, an herbicide and established groundwater contaminant, and an RUP was detected in low-flow samples at three sites, at concentrations more than 100 times lower than the EPA maximum contaminant level for drinking water and the strictest aquatic life benchmarks. This represents a significant drop compared to the 75 percent detection rate in a 2013-14 study. The decline likely reflects the decrease in current atrazine applications and sales statewide after 2015, during the time that saw the closure of a large sugarcane plantation.

• Bromacil is an herbicide and established groundwater contaminant used almost exclusively on pineapple in Hawaii. Bromocil was detected in two areas, one of which is known to have grown pineapple.

The full USGS report may be found at: sciencebase.gov

# # # 

Coverage:

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT