Governor Neil Abercrombie

Governor’s Announcement Raises Concern and Suspicion by Kauai Residents. “Voluntary Disclosure” of Pesticide Use Called “Weak,” and “Not A Substitute” for Strong County Mandates of Bill 2491. Kauai residents reacted strongly to Governor Neil Abercrombie’s announcement on September 23, which requests agricultural entities to voluntarily disclose their “aggregated usage” of Restricted Use Pesticides until such time as rules and legislation are developed in the future. The Governor also stated that he would generally work with the State Legislature to seek funding for state agencies to address pesticide use compliance, without any further specific commitment. This announcement comes days before the Kauai County Council is set to deliberate on Bill 2491, which provides for mandatory disclosure of Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs) by Kauai’s heaviest agricultural users, along with specific protections for Kauai children and families against the risks of pesticide exposure. These protections include buffer…