The County of Hawaiʻi, Public Works Department announced plans to end the use of glyphosate-based herbicides on County roadsides, drainage structures, rights-of-ways, and easements by July 1.

In a press release, Public Works Director Steve Pause said that “the Department has been working for some time to develop alternative means and methods to achieve maintenance of County infrastructure without the reliance on chemical herbicides. We believe this day has arrived.”

Mayor Mitch Roth stated, “we have a real opportunity to put our money where our mouth is and invest in better management systems that put our ʻāina and our people’s health first. This is something that the community has been asking for quite some time, and we applaud the efforts of Director Pause for his commitment to getting this done.”