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FROM : FAX NO. : Jul. 45 19160 12:13PM P2 <br /> In the polystyrene plastics industry,workers have been found to have higher incidences of cancer <br /> including leukemia and suffer from many adverse health effects from the inhalation of styrene. <br /> Styrene causes neurotoxicity and therefore affects people's nervous system and also impaires the <br /> immune system, <br /> Polystyrene containers are also harmful to the environment. Plastic does not biodegrade. It does <br /> not have a timeline for disappearing. Plastic lasts forever. When plastic gets into the ocean it <br /> accumulates additional poisons such as dioxins,DDT,DDE and other persistant organic pollutants <br /> (POPS). Polystyrene foam has been found inside of sea birds and fish. The ingestion of plastic not <br /> only causes blockages and starvation,but the animals and birds are harmed through the uptake <br /> of toxic chemicals such as styrene which leaches from the ingested plastic and accumulates in <br /> the fatty tissues of the animal. These chemicals are then passed through the food chain. Styrene <br /> is also found in the fatty tissues of humans. In a 1982 study by the EPA(the National Human <br /> Adipose Tissue Survey), 100% of Americans studied had styrene in their fatty tissues. The EPA's <br /> Styrene Fact Sheet states that styrene does not occur naturally. <br /> yr Y <br /> We need to do everything we can to reduce plastic on beaches and in the ocean in order to save <br /> marine life as polystyrene foam cups,containers and pieces of foam can and do wash into the <br /> ocean which is why these containers need to be banned. Polystyrene foam is lightweight,easily <br /> breaks into pieces and is wind blown. Picking up small,broken pieces of polystyrene foam in <br /> wind at the beach is difficult, <br /> There are good alternatives to polystyrene food and drink containers available that are made from <br /> sugar cane and other vegetable fibres that do not contain benzene,styrene or petroleum. Our <br /> organization also recommends that people bring their own containers made of glass,stainless <br /> steel or ceramic for food and drinks. <br /> Your leadership is needed to help protect the people of Hawaii County,visitors,marine life,the <br /> food chain and the environment from the harmful effects of polystyrene. Please lead the way for <br /> the rest of Hawai'i by passing this bill and being the first county in Hawaii to take action to ban <br /> disposable polystyrene food and drink service containers. Thank you. <br /> Please accept this as written testimony in support of this bill. <br /> Sincerely, • <br /> 4eFraz . <br /> .Nr.4 rdik <br /> Beach Envin nnzentalAwareness Campaign Hawaii is an all aolunteer,non-pmfif oyganirAtion that brings awareness and solutions <br /> to marine debris thmuih environmental Alt/tali/my plastic mulch-an/litter prevention C in a and marine debris <br /> rgrnorrhd <br /> mil irc,rn h•7/order In hrn4',I rnar?17P 17{P con ferric mid flip!corn,frnnda1 stm rim,nlinf <br /> I <br />