Protect Our Keiki Coalition Win!
DOE bans herbicide use on school grounds
In the summer of 2019, the Protect Our Keiki Coalition invited Dewayne “Lee” Johnson and his family to Hawai'i.
The visit was part of the Coalition’s efforts to continue to educate the public, groundskeepers and policy-makers about moving away from carcinogenic pesticides that are currently used year round in the islands, at great risk to public health.
Johnson is a former school groundskeeper from California who was regularly exposed to Monsanto/Bayer’s glyphosate-based herbicides on the job.
He was the first plaintiff to successfully win a case against Monsanto/Bayer, who was found responsible for his Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from his exposure to their glyphosate-based products.
Immediately after a BOE community meeting with Lee Johnson the DOE issued a memo prohibiting herbicide use on DOE school grounds.
As of September 2019, the counties of Maui, Hawaiʻi and Kauaʻi are actively working towards implementing pesticide / herbicide free county parks and roadways.
Mahalo to the Johnson `ohana for sharing your time with our communities and leaders to help us make Hawai`i safer for our people and `āina.
Stay tuned for ways you can support your community making the transition away from the use of pesticides in public parks and places!
Tour organized by the Protect Our Keiki Coalition:
Beyond Pesticides
Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA)
Hawaii Center for Food Safety
Hawaii SEED
Pesticide Action Network
In partnership with:
Herbicide Fee Campus
State Representative Amy Perruso
HAPA’s mission is to catalyze community empowerment and systemic change towards valuing `āina (environment) and people ahead of corporate profit.
At HAPA, we believe that when people come together with heart and commitment to an issue, we can create powerful change in Hawai‘i.
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Gary L. Hooser
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Andrea Brower
Ikaika Hussey
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Kim Coco Iwamoto
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Bart Dame
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Paul Achitoff
Kaleikoa Kaʻeo
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Our Kuleana Academy fellow, Sonny Ganaden is one of the lawyers providing pro-bono legal services to the kupuna arrested protecting Mauna Kea on July 17, 2019. Sonny reflects on how the movement to protect Mauna Kea underscores the need for real criminal justice reform in Hawaii.