REPORT TITLE:
Roadside Herbicide Use


DESCRIPTION:
Requires state agencies responsible for roadside vegetation
maintenance and groundskeeping of public facilities to develop
and implement an integrated vegetation management strategy to
minimize the risks of pesticides, herbicide, and fungicide use.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.392        
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The management of vegetation along state
 
 2 roadsides and pest control on state grounds in Hawaii involves
 
 3 the use of chemical and nonchemical methods.  To ensure that
 
 4 vegetative, pest, and fungi management is performed in a manner
 
 5 that provides the most effective and cost-efficient control with
 
 6 the least risk to human health and the environment, many
 
 7 jurisdictions in other parts of the country have established
 
 8 integrated vegetation, pest, and fungi management programs.  When
 
 9 properly implemented, these programs help to address growing
 
10 concerns that the use of herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides
 
11 may be harmful to human health and may contribute to nonpoint
 
12 source pollution of streams, as well as coastal and ground water.
 
13      The purpose of this Act is to improve the safety and quality
 
14 of public roadside maintenance and groundskeeping by requiring
 
15 the State to establish integrated vegetation, pest, and fungi
 
16 management programs.
 
17      SECTION 2.  Chapter 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
18 by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to
 
19 read as follows:
 

 
Page 2                                                     
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      "§264-    Integrated vegetation, pest, and fungi management
 
 2 program.  (a)  All state governmental agencies responsible for
 
 3 the maintenance of public roadsides and grounds shall adopt an
 
 4 integrated vegetation and pest management program that includes
 
 5 the use of nonchemical methods whenever feasible.
 
 6      (b)  An integrated vegetation management strategy for the
 
 7 control of weeds along public roads shall be designed to minimize
 
 8 maintenance costs as well as the risks associated with the use of
 
 9 herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides.  The number of public
 
10 roads and grounds upon which herbicides, pesticides, and
 
11 fungicides are applied shall be reduced by at least:
 
12      (1)  Twenty-five per cent by January 1, 2000; and
 
13      (2)  Fifty per cent by January 1, 2002.
 
14 The percentage of public roads and grounds upon which herbicides,
 
15 pesticides, and fungicides were applied during fiscal year 1992-
 
16 1993 shall serve as the baseline for these goals.
 
17      In accordance with the integrated vegetation pest, and fungi
 
18 management strategy, and at the reasonable discretion of the
 
19 state government agency, the agency may exempt roadways and
 
20 grounds from the above goals if the reduction of herbicides,
 
21 pesticides, or fungicides is not feasible or safe due to such
 
22 factors as terrain, vegetation, and site conditions.
 
23      (c)  For the purposes of this section:
 

 
Page 3                                                     
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      "Integrated vegetation pest, and fungi management" means an
 
 2 approach to vegetation pest, and fungi management that uses the
 
 3 appropriate resource for each situation, including mechanical,
 
 4 manual, cultural, biological, chemical, thermal, and structural
 
 5 methods.  Human health, environmental, aesthetic, and economic
 
 6 concerns shall be incorporated into the chosen control method as
 
 7 part of vegetation, pest, and fungi management decisions.
 
 8      "Nonchemical methods" means methods that reduce or eliminate
 
 9 noxious plant and weed species, pest, or fungi through the use of
 
10 mechanical, manual, cultural, biological, thermal, structural,
 
11 and other methods of control."
 
12      SECTION 3.  The department of transportation shall submit a
 
13 preliminary report to the legislature no later than twenty days
 
14 prior to the convening of the regular session of 2000 on the
 
15 steps that have been, are being, and will be taken to comply with
 
16 this Act.
 
17      SECTION 4.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
18      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
19 
 
20                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________