University of Hawai‘i at Hilo HOHONU 2016 Vol. 14 Boesch, said Syngenta had told him that they sprayed Let’s Be Neighbors the day of the alleged odor that caused the school to Valentina Martinez close for a number of days. Responding to Kauai’s English 432 community concerns, air tests were conducted by members of the Department of Molecular Biosciences Living in a tropical paradise should be nothing and Bioengineering, who then reported to the Hawai‘i but… well, paradise. Living in the town of Waimea, Independent that the concentrations of restricted-use Kauai, with a population of roughly 1,700 (as of a 2000 pesticide (RUP) exposure were “well below health consensus), should be nothing but peaceful aloha, concern exposure limits or applicable screening but these residents have some secretive neighbors levels.” They stated that although the symptoms the surrounding their small community: four giant schoolchildren experienced did coincide with the day biotechnology corporations that own thousands of acres of chemical spraying, they could have also been caused of test-crop fields which are sprayed in an abundance by “exposure to volatile chemicals emitted from natural of controversial chemicals by the tons every year. The sources, such as stinkweed.” Gary Hooser, who is also small, lush Hawaiian sanctuary is the least populated the Director of Office for Environmental Quality Control, of the four main islands, yet it is fighting an enormous negated those claims, “No comprehensive testing or crusade. Kauai has been termed “ground zero” for evaluation of possible pesticide drift occurred until four dangerous open-air testing of restricted-use pesticides years after the 2008 incident at Waimea Canyon School. (pesticides unavailable to the general public) and Syngenta had, by that time, stopped applying pesticides genetically modified (GM) food experimentation. There near the school and was aware the testing was taking have been dozens of civilian cases and an impending place, yet pesticide drift was still detected on the school county lawsuit against these chemical/seed companies grounds.” for infringing on the lives and health of residents and In a personal interview Dr. Stevan Knezevic for causing damage to the precious and sacred land. of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who specializes One of the leaders for change, a fighter within the in plant protection and weed management, responded system in this uphill battle against these unwelcome to the question of whether stinkweed, also known as “neighbors,” is former Hawai‘i State Senator and current pennycress, can cause children to faint from 0.4 miles city councilman, Gary Hooser. away, saying, “that is not true, sounds like science June 25, 2008, Honolulu Advertiser report: fiction to me… you better find out what chemical they Wendy Tannery, a physical education teacher at sprayed.” He even stated that flaming the weed does not Waimea Canyon Middle School (WCMS), is on the kill it due to its thick leaves being laden with moisture, athletic field supervising her class playing capture the which is easy to believe with the constant Hawaiian flag, when she and all but one of her students (who lives humidity. Dr. Knezevic, who has helped conduct the nearby) smell a strange odor and begin to feel dizzy, most cited study from 2001-2011 in weed technology, nauseous, and develop headaches. Another affected said that stinkweed shows up every year in his crop and young girl from WCMS is sent to the hospital, where she it does not make him sick. Additionally, it seems unlikely is given anti-vomiting medicine and sees several other that this weed would be prevalent enough in test-crop students breathing on machines to help open their lungs. fields to stake this hefty claim, since the heavy chemical Earlier that day, about sixty more children had been sent testing is supposed to be substantially reducing weed to the school nurse due to similar symptoms. The young growth. Maggie Sergio of The Huffington Post adds that girl’s mother, Sue Schott, is a teacher at the school, and in one particular incident between the time period of after experiencing the same effects, regurgitated her last 2006 and 2008, ten children from WCMS collapsed and meal. The equivalent transpired with Schott’s substitute, were hospitalized. who was then sent to the hospital. According to Grist The major biotechnology companies on Kauai Magazine, the middle school, which is the closest school that are capable of utilizing mass chemical crop-testing to test-crop fields, has been forced to evacuate twice: are Syngenta, DuPont-Pioneer, Dow Agrigenetics, once in 2008 due to the unusual case aforementioned, and BASF (not counting Monsanto, which presides on and once two years earlier in 2006, for similar reported the island of Maui, not Kauai). The Merriam-Webster symptoms. Dictionary defines biotechnology as “the manipulation Syngenta, a Swiss international chemical and (as through genetic engineering) of living organisms or seed company, has 3,000 acres of test-crops that lie 0.4 their components to produce useful usually commercial miles away from WCMS. When the Waimea community products (as pest resistant crops, new bacterial strains, pointed to the company’s pesticide spraying to blame for or novel pharmaceuticals).” Is it important to recognize the bizarre incidents, Syngenta claimed, and continues that Syngenta is the offspring of a major pharmaceutical to claim, that the inhalation of the common stinkweed company, AstraZeneca, which was ranked #8 in global is the culprit. However, according to Amanda Gregg revenue in 2014 on the website for pharmaceutical of The Garden Island, the Hawai‘i Department of market? How wonderful, they make your food and Agriculture (HDOA) pesticide program manager, Bob prescribed medications. Additionally, Monsanto, Dow, 35 University of Hawai‘i at Hilo HOHONU 2016 Vol. 14 and BASF either make pharmaceuticals or have ties to Dow’s application claimed their combination increases manufacturing companies. There is a reason why so toxicity. For this contradiction, the EPA has withdrawn many of these corporations are taking over the island its approval of Enlist until further investigation can be chain state. conducted (Hooser’s claim can be confirmed by Dan The consistent year-round Hawaiian weather Charles of the National Public Radio). (averaging from 73-80º) allows farmers to produce three Maggie Sergio of The Huffington Post also annual crop yields as opposed to one in most regions of informs that these potentially toxic, highly-concentrated the mainland United States. Mark Phillipson, Syngenta’s and undisclosed chemicals are applied by the guidelines head of Hawai‘i corporate affairs, described to The on the chemical’s labels, and without legally established Huffington Post, “developing a new seed variety takes buffer zones (areas in which no chemicals can be about ten to twelve growth cycles,” with one cycle sprayed) for surrounding waterways or public areas such occurring annually on the mainland. On the tropical as schools and parks. The EPA describes a ‘restricted-use islands of Hawai‘i, a biotechnology company can pesticide’ as having “the potential to cause unreasonable achieve three to four cycles of growth per year, which adverse effects to the environment and injury to considerably speeds up the time it takes to get a new applicators or bystanders without added restrictions.” seed to market. Hawai‘i Seed reports that although a Apparently, spraying can occur in the early morning, successful papaya crop engineered to be resistant to the afternoon, and even the middle of the night. Kyle Smith, widely spread ringspot virus has been created, Hawai‘i an attorney who represented Waimea residents in a 2013 has lost almost half of its papaya farmers and it has lawsuit against DuPont-Pioneer, revealed that “sixty-five impacted the fruit’s export and organic farming due to percent (65%) of the days of the year on average, so air contamination. The Center for Food Safety (CFS) adds about two hundred forty (240) days, they [DuPont] are that papaya makes up .001% of the nation’s GM crop applying pesticides. You can look at the combinations acreage. The CFS also reports that the most common [of chemicals] that are applied… The average is Hawaiian crops are corn at 67% and soybeans at 24%; between eight and maybe sixteen applications per day unfortunately, neither crop is native to Hawai‘i. of pesticides on these research fields.” Gary Hooser Crop seed such as corn, soybeans, coffee, personally reports that the state of Hawai‘i does not tobacco, papaya, and even the sacred Hawaiian taro keep records of the amount of “General Use Pesticides” plant, have been genetically engineered. With alteration, (GUPs, such as glyphosate) sprayed annually. The only the seed’s eugenics can become resistant to a virus and/ public state records kept of pesticides being utilized are or being sprayed with the corresponding pesticide, of RUPs sold, not the amount being used. which the company also sells. According to Bill Reeves, Unfortunately, the Center for Food Safety states the Regulatory Policy and Scientific Affairs manager of that these agriculture giants continually withhold the Monsanto, the use of these patented herbicide-resistant names of sprayed chemicals the public is exposed to, seeds are sustainable because they don’t require as much claiming it is confidential business information (CBI). frequent spraying as non-GM crops require. From 1996- Claiming CBI is handy because by disclosing the 2011, Center for Food Safety revealed that herbicide- chemicals that they use, companies will tip off their resistant corn, soybeans, and cotton have increased the rivals as to what new crops are in the making. However, use of pesticides by an alarming 527 million pounds – all companies often claim CBI even when their products are of which is being exposed to the public through the air, already well-known to competitors.