02/23/2005 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB19 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 19 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 26 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HCR 2 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
February 23, 2005
1:50 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jay Ramras, Co-Chair
Representative Ralph Samuels, Co-Chair
Representative Jim Elkins
Representative Carl Gatto
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux
Representative Kurt Olson
Representative Paul Seaton
Representative Harry Crawford
Representative Mary Kapsner
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 2
Urging Governor Murkowski to take quick action to conduct,
approve, or sanction a study of in-state natural gas needs and
take-off points for intrastate use of natural gas transported in
a North Slope natural gas pipeline.
- MOVED HCR 2 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 19
"An Act relating to pesticides and broadcast chemicals; and
providing for an effective date."
- HEARD AND HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 26
"An Act relating to short-term commercial fishing crewmember
licenses; and providing for an effective date."
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HCR 2
SHORT TITLE: IN-STATE NATURAL GAS NEEDS
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) SAMUELS
02/18/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/18/05 (H) RES
02/23/05 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
BILL: HB 19
SHORT TITLE: PESTICIDE & BROADCAST CHEMICALS
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) MEYER
01/10/05 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 12/30/04
01/10/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/10/05 (H) RES, FIN
02/23/05 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
WITNESS REGISTER
HENRY WEBB, Staff
to Representative Ralph Samuels
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HCR 2 on behalf of Representative
Samuels, sponsor.
LISA PARKER, Spokeswoman
Agrium Inc.
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 2.
MIKE PAWLOWSKI, Staff
to Representative Kevin Meyer
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 19 on behalf of Representative
Meyer, sponsor.
REPRESENTATIVE KEVIN MEYER
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 19 as sponsor.
KRISTIN RYAN, Director
Division of Environmental Health
Department of Environmental Conservation
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 19.
JANE HAMILTON, Executive Director
Alaska Farm Bureau
Delta Junction, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 19.
SHAWNA LARSON, Environmental Justice Coordinator
Indigenous Environmental Network
Palmer and Chickaloon Village, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 19.
ADAM GROVE, Naturopathic Doctor
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 19.
BIRGIT LENGER, Doctor and Board Member
Alaska Community Action on Toxics
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 19.
RUTH MCHENRY
Copper Center, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 19.
KEN PERRY, President
PARATEX Pied Piper Pest Control
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 19.
ARNDT VON HIPPEL, Retired Heart Surgeon
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 19.
PAM MILLER, Executive Director
Alaska Community Action on Toxins
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 19.
EMILY NENON, Director
Alaska Government Relations
American Cancer Society
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 19.
LAURA MONFORE
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 19.
SHANNON KUHN
Alaska Youth for Environmental Action
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 19.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CO-CHAIR RALPH SAMUELS called the House Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:50:34 PM. Representatives
Elkins, Kapsner, Ramras, Samuels, Seaton, and Olson were present
at the call to order. Representatives LeDoux, Gatto, and
Crawford joined the meeting while it was in progress.
HCR 2-IN-STATE NATURAL GAS NEEDS
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS announced that the first order of business
would be HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 2 Urging Governor
Murkowski to take quick action to conduct, approve, or sanction
a study of in-state natural gas needs and take-off points for
intrastate use of natural gas transported in a North Slope
natural gas pipeline.
HENRY WEBB, Staff to Representative Ralph Samuels, Alaska State
Legislature, said the resolution is the result of the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission ruling of February 9, 2005, that
requires a study of in-state needs for gas to be conducted by an
agency of the state "before an open season can occur."
LISA PARKER, Spokeswoman, Agrium Inc., Kenai, said it is
"important for the state to consider value-added industries in
the state if we want to continue to sustain our economy and
grow."
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS moved to report HCR 2 out of committee with
individual recommendations. There being no objection, HCR 2 was
reported from the House Resources Standing Committee.
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS said that he plans to make HCR 2 a House
Resources Standing Committee bill while on the floor.
HB 19-PESTICIDE & BROADCAST CHEMICALS
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS announced that the next order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 19 "An Act relating to pesticides and
broadcast chemicals; and providing for an effective date."
MIKE PAWLOWSKI, Staff to Representative Kevin Meyer, Alaska
State Legislature, requested that the committee wait a few
minutes for Representative Meyer to arrive.
The committee took an at-ease from 1:55 PM to 1:57 PM.
1:56:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KEVIN MEYER, Alaska State Legislature, Sponsor of
HB 19, said there are four key provisions of the bill, and the
first simply gives the Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC) the authority to charge a fee to manufacturers who
register broadcast chemicals for sale or distribution in Alaska.
He noted that every state in the nation charges chemical
companies for the registration of their products. There is a
cost to DEC, and the users should be paying for this, he said.
He added that the bill does not set the amount, but it does
limit it. DEC can adjust the fee according to the amount of use
that a particular product gets in Alaska. Representative Meyer
said that Section 6 contains two other important provisions of
HB 19. It requires applicators of pesticides in a public place
to be licensed. Some of these "pesticides are pretty nasty
stuff," he said, and he wants to make sure people have adequate
knowledge and training. He added that training will be free but
the license will cost $25.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) HB 19, Version 24-LS0149\Y Bullock 2/11/05 as a
work draft. There being no objection, it was so ordered.
REPRESENTATIVE MEYER continued that DEC now uses general funds
to register chemicals, and this bill creates a user fee to
offset those costs. The third provision, he said, is to provide
for reasonable public notice of pesticide use in public areas.
It is good to know an area has been sprayed, he said, especially
for children and people with asthma or allergies. "You should
have a right to know what's been sprayed in the environment that
you're going into," he opined. He stated the underlying purpose
of HB 19 is to create a pesticide program that the public can
have confidence in. He added that DEC supports the legislation
so that they can do a better job. Some businesses won't like it
because they will have to pay a fee, he projected, but he has
looked at what other states have done and believes HB 19 is fair
and not excessive.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked Representative Meyer to describe
changes from the original bill.
MR. PAWLOWSKI explained that the CS includes both the receipts
of the regulation of pesticides and the receipts from the
applicators to be dedicated to the DEC program, with a
conforming accounting amendment. Secondly, said Mr. Pawlowski,
Section 2 of the original bill directed DEC to charge $115
annually to register pesticides, but in Section 3 of the CS, it
is now a permissive scale which allows DEC to charge less for
something new on the market or not used as much. Section 3 also
added the licensing fee for applicators, which is also
permissive and cannot exceed $25.
2:05:55 PM
MR. PAWLOWSKI said that Section 5 of the CS gives DEC the
ability to temporarily waive the license requirements for
emergencies or for transition phases. He told the committee
that Section 4 of the original bill required a complex public
notice in statute, but the CS is flexible for DEC, so it gives
DEC the authority to promulgate regulations that include on-site
notice. It also requires the certification of applicators, he
said, and the final portion of Section 6 defines a public place.
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS asked about "Weed and Feed" in the yard of a
small business next to a walkway--"what are the parameters?"
MR. PAWLOWSKI said he would like to defer to DEC, but he said
that is why the sponsor went to a more permissive requirement.
2:09:28 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO said some chemicals are clearly beneficial,
and he suggested fertilizer and Clorox. He asked if HB 19 would
include such things, and then he asked if smokers are
broadcasting chemicals.
MR. PAWLOWSKI said he doesn't believe that tobacco is a
broadcast chemical. He said he believes that Clorox and
fertilizers would be covered because they could create problems
for asthmatics. He added that it is limited to public places.
2:11:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked if the atrium of ConocoPhillips
Alaska, Inc. would be a public place under this definition.
REPRESENTATIVE MEYER answered that it would.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked how that would be defined as a
public place.
MR. PAWLOWSKI said it is defined under a place of public
accommodation, which includes any place where the public may
frequent that is not ordinarily restricted to employees.
2:13:37 PM
KRISTIN RYAN, Director, Division of Environmental Health,
Department of Environmental Conservation, said that tobacco is
not included and that sanitizers are exempt. She added that
public accommodation can include business areas, but there is an
exemption for hotels and restaurants. DEC would charge $105 for
every chemical registered, she said. DEC would initiate a fee
waiver system for products that are new or in limited use. She
said DEC does not want to restrict new products that might be
safer. She added that pesticides are "not DDT or agent orange
anymore, they are extremely advanced and meant to target
specific species and dissipate in our environment very quickly,
so we want to encourage applicators to use new chemicals."
MS. RYAN said that commercial applicators currently have to be
certified, and the process is free. People spraying in the
hallways of multifamily dwellings would now have to be
certified, she said. Public notification would vary by the type
of facility, she said. "If you are going to rent a new
apartment, we could probably have a registration process where
when you sign the lease you let your landlord know I want to be
notified before you spray in my apartment," she said, and in a
park there would be a sign on a lamp post.
2:18:00 PM
MS. RYAN said there would be no impact to farmers, restaurants,
or hotels.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked Ms. Ryan to define broadcast
chemicals.
MS. RYAN said she could not, but the department uses federal
guidelines to determine what chemicals need to be registered.
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD said that the legislation has been
called "the right to know" bill, and he asked what happens if
someone objects to the spraying after being notified, like in a
multifamily dwelling.
MS. RYAN answered that it would give people the opportunity to
stop their apartment from being sprayed.
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD asked about common areas.
MS. RYAN said that she thinks that would have to be negotiated
between landlord and tenants, and DEC won't get in the middle.
2:20:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked why Ms. Ryan said DEC would charge
$105.
MS. RYAN answered that the bill's sponsor gave DEC some leeway,
and DEC believes that $105 would cover the current costs.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked about wood preservatives and if
sellers would be required to verify a license before selling
such things to someone.
MS. RYAN said that HB 19 does not change DEC's current
categories of chemicals, it will just allow DEC to charge a fee.
She added that the number of certified applicators will double
because of the public area requirement. DEC does not anticipate
any changes in how it certifies, she said. She added that with
pesticides, the label is the law.
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS asked if someone can buy chemicals without
certification.
MS. RYAN said yes.
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS asked if when registering a chemical, is it the
compound's name or content.
MS. RYAN replied that it is the product. She gave the example
that Roundup will have to pay the fee, as will any other product
with the same chemicals in them. But if one company has a
product with different scents, for instance, it would be
considered the same product with only one registration required.
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS asked about the penalties to an applicator.
MS. RYAN said DEC can revoke someone's certification, and there
is no civil fine.
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS asked for clarification for small businesses.
He said his business doesn't hire a gardener but there are
flowers that might get sprayed for aphids. He asked if the
staff person who takes care of the flowers has to get a license.
MS. RYAN said that DEC would set a de minimis; DEC wants to
focus on large applications or applications that can
significantly expose people, like parking lots and interior
space. Through the regulation process, DEC will define a de
minimis, she said.
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS asked about people who work out of their own
homes and use Weed and Feed along their walkway.
MS. RYAN said the definition says "frequently accessed by the
public."
REPRESENTATIVE OLSON asked why there is an exemption for hotels
and restaurants if interior space represents the greatest risk
of exposure.
MS. RYAN answered that restaurants are already covered under the
food code. She said that in hotels, there is not long-term
exposure because people are not living in hotels.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked about the inclusion of apartments.
MS. RYAN said that public accommodation covers everything that
the public can enter.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX said that when you lease an apartment, it
is yours and not a public accommodation any more.
MS. RYAN said that DEC will have sufficient statutory
flexibility, and she agrees that it is tenuous if DEC goes into
private apartments. Ms. Ryan said she would propose that
renters will be able to request notification before spraying.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked about someone who rents out his or
her own townhouse. Would that be a public place? she asked.
MS. RYAN answered in the affirmative.
2:32:44 PM
JANE HAMILTON, Executive Director, Alaska Farm Bureau, Delta
Junction, said the registration fee required in HB 19 is a
concern because the Farm Bureau has heard from many chemical
companies that say they cannot afford to register their chemical
in Alaska, which would make the product unavailable. She also
believed that chemicals left over from previous years couldn't
be used. "Our concern is over the fee. To go from zero to $105
is a pretty dramatic increase," she said. She noted that other
states have fees ranging from $15 to $750, and so she believes
the $105 is "rather high."
2:35:36 PM
MS. RYAN explained that the fee is based on what it now costs
DEC, and she added that it would not be illegal to use products
left over from a previous year. She said that DEC will set a
smaller fee for chemicals used in smaller amounts.
2:36:36 PM
SHAWNA LARSON, Environmental Justice Coordinator, Indigenous
Environmental Network, Palmer and Chickaloon Village, said that
she works with communities and tribes in Alaska that are
impacted by toxics. She said pesticides are linked to cancer,
infertility, birth defects, neurological impairment, asthma, and
endocrine disruption, and she said that citizens have the right
to know where, when, and what toxic pesticides are being sprayed
so that they can avoid exposure. She said that it seems that
agricultural activities will not be affected, and that worries
people in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. She added that children
are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of pesticides.
She said she has small children, and berry picking is part of
her traditional culture. She noted that she would avoid areas
if she knew they were recently sprayed. "Despite the known
risk, we have no accurate information on which pesticides are
used - where, when, and what amounts," she said. Regarding
apartment buildings, she said she would want to know if she were
renting a place with pesticides because "my baby crawls around
on the floor, eats things off of the floor...knowing these
pesticides are linked to serious health problems." She said
that HB 19 has support from the medical community, subsistence
food users, parents, workers, and environmental advocates.
2:39:37 PM
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS said Ms. Larson's sentiments echo a lot of the
email he has received.
ADAM GROVE, Naturopathic Doctor, Anchorage, said he was involved
when the City of Anchorage went through a similar process. As a
father and doctor, he said, he strongly supports protecting
children from the effects of pesticides. Notification empowers
parents, teachers, and storeowners to protect children, he said.
He noted that he thought the question regarding smoking was
interesting because smoking areas are labeled and we can avoid
them. Giving people information empowers them, he added.
Pesticides are designed to be toxic, but because humans are
larger than the species targeted, the toxic effect is less or
delayed, but these effects do accumulate. He also noted that
studies of pesticides are done in labs, without natural
variables such as rain and heat. Also, the chemicals are not
studied in combination with each other. In children, toxic
effects are primarily neuro-toxic or endocrine disrupting, so we
see children with convulsions, genital malformations, "and the
list goes on and on," he said. He noted that kids are closer to
the ground and the dose per pound of body weight is greater.
Also, their organs are developing and their cells are more
liable to disruption, he said. A nation-wide study showed the
cost of pediatric disease of environmental origin is $9 to $18
billion per year, and Dr. Grove said that the industry should
contribute to some of the costs. He urged the committee to
require the fee and to not exempt restaurants and hotels,
because indoor exposure is the most significant. He also
requested that the notification requirement be legislated.
2:43:38 PM
BIRGIT LENGER, Doctor and Board Member, Alaska Community Action
on Toxics, Anchorage, said she supports improved notification so
citizens can make informed choices. She addressed Ms. Ryan's
comment about pesticides no longer being DDT or agent orange,
and Dr. Lenger said that the product Weed and Feed contains 2-
4D, which is a component of agent orange. Many common
pesticides have quite toxic components, she added. As a
physician, she is concerned about the health effects of
pesticides, including impacts on the endocrine system, nervous
system, immune system, reproductive system, and on infant
development. Pesticides can contribute to breast cancer and
miscarriages, she noted. She added that recent studies show
that even small quantities can be quite damaging over time. She
said she has had patients who have had problems with exposure to
pesticides and ended up in the hospital. She concluded that in
medicine, the easiest and most important undertaking is
prevention of illness; once someone is ill, it is a much more
difficult task to treat them.
2:46:28 PM
RUTH MCHENRY, Copper Center, said that she wants to choose
whether to go to places where pesticides are used in the same
way she wants to choose what she eats. There are different
opinions about the health risks of pesticides, she said, "Since
no one cares as much about my health as I do, I want to be able
to make my own decisions. I can do that only if the state
requires pesticide application notices." She requested adding
the term "public lands" because that is where many rural
Alaskans get their food. She also questioned the exemption for
restaurants and hotels. Chemicals can be present in the carpet
of a restaurant, not just foods, she said, and people live in
hotels long term. Because chemicals persist longer in Alaska's
climate, she wants the notices to be up for more than 48 hours.
"We everyday Alaskans, unlike chemical manufacturers, are your
constituents. Our health and safety are important," she said.
2:48:51 PM
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS told Ken Perry, pesticide industry
representative, to speak as long as he wants.
KEN PERRY, President, PARATEX Pied Piper Pest Control,
Anchorage, said he raised five children in Alaska and has
personal concerns for his children's health "that transcends
pecuniary interest." He said that forcing manufacturers of
chemicals to pay fees has inherent dangers. Alaska needs "more
alternatives in the area of chemicals, rather than less," he
said. He said newer, less toxic products won't find the way to
Alaska's market. "If I requested a manufacturer to register a
new product for me to try out in our special temperatures, and
the bottle or can costs $25 to $100, why should they pay
virtually any amount or beg for a variance to register it one
time here?" he asked. He said the industry will keep using old
products, and there is "high and [venomous] environmental
activism in this state." He said residents of Alaska may want
"specialty products," including disinfectants, fungicides,
paints, specialty plant and animal products, and a host of other
chemicals, and manufacturers will refuse to register them.
Mr. Perry said HB 19 is extremely short sighted regarding public
notification. He said that Alaska has been at the forefront of
personal liberties and property rights. He added that it is an
unscientific demand and a violation of the rights of people who
choose to use chemicals on their property. He said it is like
making people who wear mosquito repellant to "hang an 8 1/2 by
11 sign on their back saying 'stay away from me, I use Deep
Woods Off."
MR. PERRY said "the public is far more likely to contact a cold
or flu virus from the doorknob he touches than a now-dried
pesticide applied to a baseboard, crack, or crevice or the
discreetly placed rodenticide base station." He added that "we
fully support any individual's right to know," but it is
"incumbent on them" to find out themselves. He said people can
put signs up saying they don't use pesticides if too many people
are asking. He added that increased regulation cannot be offset
by the dollars brought in by the bill. He said there are two
big unknowns. The first is the actual amount of registration
fees that may be collected. "I swear honestly to you today that
I am not confident in the estimates coming from the proponents,"
he said. The second unknown, he stated, is "the fact that the
larger portion of the pesticide program in Alaska is paid for by
federal sharing funds. We are glued to events currently
affecting the federal budget, and there is no way of saying with
any certainty that these funds will continue to be available at
the current levels. Any new regulations imposed now will have
to be assumed by higher state contributions if federal funds do
diminish."
2:54:14 PM
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS said Mr. Perry's testimony was very articulate,
and the committee is reviewing his email.
2:54:45 PM
ARNDT VON HIPPEL, Retired Heart Surgeon, Anchorage, said he
retired a couple of years after being sprayed vigorously by
pesticides resulting in severe angina, which may or may not be
related to the deterioration in his heart that forced him to
retire. He noted that he had been the only heart surgeon in
Alaska, and "spraying in this fashion is hardly a safe thing to
do if you only have one heart surgeon." He said that the
pesticide sprayed in Alaska is not safe, and it does far more
harm than good. He said that people use very toxic chemicals to
eliminate aphids when soapy water will do, and to eliminate
yellow jackets when non-toxic bear spray works just as well. He
said that people who apply pesticides almost always violate the
label, and their licenses should be revoked. Pesticide people
were pushing for its use for spruce beetles and leaf miners, he
said, and it didn't do any good. He noted that there is a mid-
town cancer cluster in Anchorage that "looks like it may be a
major cancer epidemic, but because home owners are worried about
their real estate values, they asked us not to look into it."
He said in addition to the toxic residues, dirty cans and hoses
often end up in streams and sewers. He believes that the state-
of-the-art is so primitive it reminds him of medicine in the
late 1800s. He concluded by saying that pesticides being used
in Alaska are very toxic, and people are using them for
ornamental or frivolous reasons.
2:58:59 PM
PAM MILLER, Executive Director, Alaska Community Action on
Toxins, Anchorage, reported that the National Research Council
has said that pesticides are the only toxic substances that are
purposefully applied to the environment. She added that
pesticides are supposed to be regulated so that they do not
cause unreasonable harm, but that does not mean registered
pesticides are safe. Registered pesticides are known to cause
cancer, genetic damage, birth defects, miscarriages, liver and
kidney damage, neurological damage and endocrine effects, but
less than 10 percent of commonly-used chemicals have been
adequately tested, she said. She noted that the herbicide
called Roundup has associations with congenital malformations or
birth defects. She told the committee that this study was done
last year, but Roundup is still on the market and Monsanto touts
it as the safest pesticide for common use. Ms. Miller said the
literature does not support Ms. Ryan's statement that pesticides
are advanced and dissipate quickly. Alaska is the only state
that does not require a fee for pesticide registration, she
added, and HB 19 is fiscally positive.
3:01:54 PM
EMILY NENON, Alaska Government Relations Director, American
Cancer Society, Anchorage, said HB 19 is an important step in
protecting the health of Alaskans. The American Cancer Society
has supported similar legislation around the country, and this
kind of basic registration is long overdue in Alaska, she said.
She added that public notice is a critical first step in raising
awareness of pesticide use. The next step is a tracking
mechanism, and she supports future legislation to address that.
3:03:45 PM
LAURA MONFORE, Anchorage, said that in 1992 she was a nurse, a
soldier, a wife and a mother, and she was almost killed by
exposure to multiple pesticides which were claimed to be safe.
Along with permanent brain damage and cognitive disturbances,
she also developed sensitivity to almost all man-made chemicals.
She said it is important to understand that each of us carries a
toxic load of all the toxins that we have ever inhaled,
absorbed, or ingested. She said many stay with us for years,
accumulating and reacting. Between 15-25 percent of the
population is chemically sensitive, she said, and many people
are not aware of it, so they can't protect themselves. She said
it is tragic that our public places and offices are places of
poisoning. She said the main two pesticides that almost killed
her are Malathion, an organo-phosphate, and chlorine, also known
as Clorox, which turns into a gas. Chlorine gas killed many in
World War II, and there are safer and more effective cleansers,
she said. She added that the newer pesticides are not at all
less toxic nor are they less damaging to our health, she said.
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS asked Ms. Monfore to fax some written testimony.
3:07:41 PM
SHANNON KUHN, Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, Anchorage,
stated that HB 19 is a crucial bill because every summer
thousands of youths flock to public parks unwittingly exposing
themselves to pesticides--from the chemicals sprayed on the
flowers to the weed killers on the grass. She added that
children are more susceptible and they often put things in their
mouths, like contaminated grass. Toxic effects include impaired
stamina, coordination, and memory. She said that adults are
also negatively affected. Most of the pesticides that EPA
considers the safest are known carcinogens. Based on the need
to protect public health, she said, we have the right to know
what has been sprayed.
3:10:20 PM
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS closed public testimony.
[HB 19 was held over]
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Resources Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 3:11 PM.
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