A bill prohibiting the use of certain pesticides near schools and banning the use of other pesticides will head to the governor’s office after passing its final reading Tuesday in the state Legislature.
Senate Bill 3095 imposes additional regulations upon users of restricted-use pesticides, substances whose use is limited because of their environmentally harmful effects.
These regulations include the establishment of buffer zones 100 feet around school properties during school hours, wherein no restricted-use pesticide is allowed to be used.
In addition, every user of restricted-use pesticides is required to submit an annual report of their pesticide usage to the state Department of Agriculture, including information such as the varieties of pesticides, the location and times of their application and the amounts used.
Furthermore, all use of pesticides containing the chemical chlorpyrifos — which has been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer along with developmental delays in children — is prohibited under the bill. While this prohibition and all other aspects of the bill would take effect Jan. 1 of next year, people can request a temporary extension until the end of 2022 to continue using chlorpyrifos pesticides.
While an earlier draft of the bill would have made public the names of those requesting an extension on chlorpyrifos use, the final draft clarifies that such names would be for departmental use only. However, the Department of Agriculture will be required to produce summaries of pesticide use by county.
State Sen. Russel Ruderman, D-Puna, who introduced the bill, could not be reached for comment.