HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0771.215 2020-2022 P/CRNRMC
bill 1VT
Cr04,111
COUNCIL PUBLIC TESTIMONY
PETITION VIA INNOVATIONS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL
REGARDING: COUNTY CLERIC
COUNTY OF HAWAII
BILL 167/ COMM. 771 RECEIVED
�
Date Y _73Z �
Date
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 14 OF THE H(AWAI`I COUNTY CODE 1983
(2016 EDITION,AS AMENDED), BY ADDING A NEW ARTICLE RELATING TO
PROHIBITION OF NON-MINERAL SUNSCREEN.
Attached is a list of names of approximately 66 students from Innovations Public
Charter School submitting testimony in SUPPORT of BILL 167 (COMM. 771). Please
note that the verbiage of each testimony are all different.
Comm. No. 111.119
Ref.To: '1CR N EMU
Ref. Dote MAY 1 7 2022
Bill 167 Letters of Support
Page 1 of 1
No# Name No# Name
1 Nalu Atkinson-Nozaki 42 Kalea Manning
2 Brooke Hamilton 43 Kililani Smith
3 Ceydi Pacatanag 44 Maxon McCloskey
4 Brandon Curry 45 Yazz McDonald
5 Elzhi Santos 46 Ryan Mears
6 Tayvia Fukunaga 47 Caiden Mireles
7 Momoka loh 48 Nicholas Mast
8 Kai Chiddo 49 Kayla Marie Shand
9 Dasha Kala 50 Taira Aoki
10 Ryland Keenan 51 Lanz Vitales
11 Aaden K. 52 Makuakai Atkinson
12 Lucas Javier 53 Satchel Duke
13 Gavin Pries 54 Maximillian Gomez-Wood
14 Elizabeth Santiago 55 Wyatt Harpster
15 Cypress Willcox 56 'Iolani Campbell
16 Kaale Youderian 57 Kyhli Ballenger
17 Maya Rae Barnreuther 58 Paola Martinez-Sanchez
18 Gavin Decker 59 Matt Pelayo
19 Soren Fesel 60 McKade Westlund
20. Kailynn Harrigan 61 Maximus Meyers
21 Kolby Hiney 62 Micah Gardner
22 Kekona Hooper 63 Haileyann Thomas
23 James Cintas 64 June Wheeler
24 Maddix Kamimura 65 Aili Ynigues
25 Brock Lewis 66 Tia Yokoyama
26 Strider Lietz-Forster
27 Makena Honsberger
28 Maya Vincent
29 Ryden Pepperworth
30 Reena Quitugua
31 Selah Vigil
32 Masi Lechuga
33 Keira Yap
34 Kainalu Alves
35 Emmet Arnott
36 Mikela Awana
37 Kaleo Bolton
38 Frida Coulon
39 Holden E.
40 Faith Pai
41 Raina Fukunaga
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Brooke Hamilton
Mahi lulani 75-635
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 12, 2022
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Ms. Rebecca Villegas,
My name is Brooke and I have lived on the Big Island of Hawaii for eight years. I am
in the seventh grade at Innovations Public Charter School. When I first moved here,
my parents bought the big red truck from you! I have seen the new laws in Maui, and
think that it would be a good choice to ban stores from selling non-mineral
sunscreens. Could you imagine the world without our gorgeous reefs? They are very
necessary for sea life and the ocean coastal ecosystem! Now I have a joke that is
shore to make you laugh!
What does a dolphin say when he's confused? "Can you please be more Pacific?!"
If we don't ban non-mineral sunscreens, future generations might not know what
dolphins are!!!
The sunscreen blocks the micro-life from getting sunlight and can impair their growth.
This ban could be extremely effective and helpful for our reefs. Even if the ban is
temporary, or just to limit people from using non-reef safe sunscreen, it could give our
reefs a break from all of the chemicals and encourage them to grow.
The chemical sunscreens protect us from the rays of the sun, but harm our body with
the harsh ingredients. They can get absorbed by our bodies, irritate your skin, and
possibly cause skin cancer. The chemicals get absorbed into our bloodstream at more
than 0.5 ml, and that's far more than the amount the FDA topical medication study
recommends. Too much exposure to these toxins creates a variety of hormonal issues
in children and adults.
This ban could help the animals and sea life around us thrive without all of the
harming chemicals polluting the environment. The synthetic elements harm more life
than you would think, like when you breathe in the aerosol spray-on sunscreen, you
may think about how handy it is, but not about how it affects your lungs and the
environment around you.
I understand that these mineral sunscreens are not AS effective as ones containing
stronger chemicals, but we, as a community, need to start caring more about our
environment and less about convenience. Even though the bad sunscreens are easier
to apply and are less noticeable, we need to start caring for something more than
ourselves. Please support a ban on chemical sunscreens in Hawaii County.
Sincerely,
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Brooke Hamilton
Ceydi Pacatang % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 QUEEN KA'AHUMANU HIGHWAY, KAILUA KONA, HI 96740
Kailua Kona, 96740
December 15th, 2021
Chairperson Holeka Inaba and Vice Chair Matt Kaneali'i
PRPSC Parks and Recreation and Public Safety Committee
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg A,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Holeka Inaba and Vice Chair Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder,
Thank you for everything you do. I am writing to you about the sunscreen ban which I
believe is a great idea and should be implemented.
Firstly, we need to be good towards our marine life. You see, our marine life is
beautiful, but the chemicals washing off in the ocean could hurt them just like how
they hurt our coral reefs. If we have a ban on chemical sunscreen, there would be
fewer harmful chemicals in the ocean to hurt our coral reefs and other marine life.
My second reason is that our coral reefs are beautiful and many tourists visit Hawaii
and expect to see amazing coral. They are invaluable to us and we should protect
them. When the chemicals hurt coral, they begin to decline in beauty. I believe that
with this ban it will help the coral reefs and restore them to their natural beauty.
Finally, I like the idea of this ban. I believe that the ban of chemical sunscreens will
help the coral reefs start to increase. Coral reefs hold many marine lifeforms and
without them some may not thrive. Coral reefs are also very important for the lives of
humans since they give us jobs, income, food, medicine, and protection for our kind,
So if you make the ban you won't just be saving the coral reefs, you'll be saving
people as well.
Thank you for reading my letter.
Best regards,
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Ceydi Pacatanag.
Brandon Curry
Po Box 1733
Kailua Kona, HI 96745
Council Representative Rebecca Villegas
74-5044 Ane keohokalole Hwy
Building A
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Council Representative Rebecca Villegas,
We should ban non reef safe sunscreen. Sunscreen chemicals can affect marine life:
• Green Algae: Can impair growth and photosynthesis.
• Coral: Accumulates in tissues.
• Can induce bleaching, damage DNA, deform young, and even kill.
You know that it's bad for our environment judging on the 100s of letters you're
getting.
There is one thing that's keeping harmful sunscreens on the shelves, money. In the
same store that has non reef safe sunscreen there is probably reef safe sunscreen.
The non reef safe sunscreen cost only like $4 per tube as the reef safe cost $7 per
tUbe. It costs more because the reef safe sunscreen materials are harder to come by
therefore making the sunscreen costs more. The non reef safe sunscreens materials
are easy to come by but they harm the environment. That sunscreen is cheap, making
the buyers or us the consumers want to buy that sunscreen because it's cheaper. If
we put a law in that says there should be no non reef safe sunscreen, then it will
eliminate the competition. It won't matter anymore what the price is because that is
the only sunscreen that you can get at the stores. It's like airport food and water being
super expensive. It's not that it costs a lot of money to bring in the water and food.
There is no competition at the airport so the'food is like $10 per sandwich and people
buy it.
Please consider banning non reef safe sunscreen.
Sincerely,
atadon 171,Curl
Elzhi Santos % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Kaahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13, 2022
Regenerative,Agriculture, Water, Energy and Environmental Management Committee
Chair, Dr. Herbert "Tim" Richards III, DVM and Vice Chair, Holeka Inaba,
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair, Dr. Herbert"Tim" Richards III, DVM and Vice Chair, Holeka Inaba,
Can you imagine having a reef full of dead coral?Yeah. I know. It would be devastating!
Unfortunately, greedy companies may be changing the oxybenzone in the sunscreen —
because it's the law—but they are replacing it with another coral-killing ingredient with a
similar chemical (Avobenzone)which is just as bad as oxybenzone.
The earth is already bad as it is right now. So why possibly make it worse? That's why we
have to,do something about the horrible sunscreens that kill the earth. With a weak coral reef,
the coastal ecosystems will be more vulnerable to storms and erosion. That's why we need to
change the law now by banning unsafe sunscreen to keep our coral reef strong.
The coral in the ocean floor helps the environment by protecting coastlines from storms and
erosion. We can assist the coral by being informed about dangerous sunscreen and notifying
others, using mineral sunscreens, scouting out for ocean-safe sunscreens, avoiding aerosol
sunscreen, and using less harmful personal care products to leave fewer chemicals out of the
ocean.
I and thousands of other people in the world care about this issue. If we don't ban bad
sunscreens, then tons of people will be startled once all the storms and erosions come.
According to Noaa.gov, it tells us that coral is crucial to the environment because it can do
many things like protecting us from erosion, storms, diseases, and predators. The way it stops
diseases is because it is used for medicines to cure diseases. Coral stops predators because
it provides shelter for some marine life. There will be a disaster if we do not adjust the laws.
Knowing that coral is a critical part of marine life, I assure you that if we change the law, then
that would make many people happy about the ban on coral-killing sunscreen.
Sincerely,
Elzhi Santos
Tayvia Fukunaga % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Kaahumanu Hwy
Kailua-Kona, 96740
January 13th, 2022
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear.Rebecca Villegas & Heather Kimball,
My name is Tayvia Fukunaga and recently in school I have been learning about the
effects of chemical sunscreen. I believe that we should ban all use and sales of
sunscreen that contain harmful ingredients on the Big Island.
When you apply your sunscreen, your skin absorbs it along with all those harsh
chemicals which can cause skin irritation according to washingtonpost.com.
We are not the only thing that is affected by these sunscreens. According to
Sustainabletravel.org, the sunscreen can damage the coral's DNA, cause coral
bleaching, and increase the amount of deformities, resulting in our coral reefs
suffering. Coral reefs are home to many species and provide protection for us against
flooding.
Is something that hurts coral reefs and that can be potentially harmful to us something
you want to be distributed throughout Hawai'i? I don't think so. I know you care about
our community's health, so help ban the use of chemical sunscreen on Big Island.
Sincerely,
Tayvia Fukunaga
Momoka loh % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Kaahumanu Hwy,
Kailua-kona, HI 96740
January 12, 2022
Rebecca Villegas
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Rebecca Villegas,
Hello, my name is Momoka loh. I love the ocean, I love to go swimming with my family
and friends, and looking at the beautiful coral and ocean life. Can you imagine the
coral reef getting destroyed by non-mineral sunscreens? I can't, and I hope that will
not happen.
I have heard that Maui County will ban the use of non-mineral sunscreen. I support
this ban because by using chemical sunscreens, it damages the coral, shows
chemicals on the water, and they could also have long-term effects on your skin or
body. Peter Landon, who is in charge of the Ahihi Kinau Natural Area Reserve says,
"You can see with your own eyes the sheen of chemicals shining in the top of the
water column and imagine the impact this stuff has on the coral reef ecosystem."
These chemicals block the sunlight and keep the'coral from eating the
microorganisms that absorb sunlight.
We should ban the use of non-mineral sunscreens because it could cause long term
effects on your body. According to The Washington Post, "these chemicals may be
absorbed through the skin, leading to skin irritation, hormonal disruption —even skin
cancer," and that "there may be risks to developing fetuses when pregnant women are
exposed to oxybenzone." To avoid the risk of skin irritation, skin cancer, etc., we
should prevent the use of chemical sunscreens.
I hope that Hawaii County will ban the use of chemical sunscreens because we will be
able to protect the coral reef and marine life. I think a lot of people would also have
the same opinion as me, people who love to swim, surf, or anything at the beach. If
we can ban the use of chemical sunscreens, even if it's temporary, our reefs would
have a little break from the chemicals.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to voice my opinion.
Sincerely,
Momoka loh
Kai Chiddo % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 12, 2022
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair - Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair - Heather L. Kimball,
The other day, I was snorkeling at Two Step, a beach close to my house and I was
brought to the realization that the coral reef, that once used to be vibrant and colorful,
is now washed-out and colorless. I was determined to figure out the cause for this.
I learned that coral reefs are being damaged because of non-mineral sunscreens. Our
community should work together to stop this! The County of Hawaii should legislate a
ban on the sale of non-mineral sunscreen products island wide because non-mineral
sunscreens bleach coral reefs.According to Linda Crampton, a former biology
teacher, "Researchers have found evidence that oxybenzone, a common ingredient in
sunscreens, may damage coral reefs even when it's present in a low concentration."
This shows that the chemicals in the sunscreen affects the coral reef in a horrible way.
This means that the sunscreen we sell to people is killing what some of the people we
sell it to are coming to look at.
When we put on chemical based sunscreen it gets absorbed in our skin, so whenever
we put sunscreen on we inject ourselves with chemicals. You can see these effects on
you like red skin, swelling, rashes and swelling. According to the American Cancer
Society,"Oxybenzone is one of the common active ingredients in sunscreens that are
sold in the US." and that "some studies have shown oxybenzone can cause skin
allergies. In addition, studies in animals and in human cells in laboratories show that
oxybenzone can interfere with how some hormones work."This shows that
non-mineral sunscreens not only damage coral reefs, but also damage skin.
The Hawaii County Council needs to make a ban on selling and using non-mineral
sunscreens in the County of Hawaii because coral reefs are important to Hawaii's
ecosystem.
Sincerely,
Kai Chiddo •
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Dasha Kala % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 QUEEN KA'AHUMANU HIGHWAY,
KAILUA KONA, 96740
December 15 , 2021
CRNRMC
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Climate Resiliency and Natural Resource Management Committee (CRNRMC),
I am Dasha Kala from Innovations Public Charter School and we have all been talking
about chemical and non-chemical sunscreens and how they are effective to our
oceans.
We use our oceans often, and sunscreen can protect us from the harmful UV rays of
the bright sun here in Hawaii. We also have around 8,000 tourists that come here and
they use sunscreen. These strong chemical sunscreens are causing multiple
damages to the reef and marine life systems.
According to Maui County Councilmember Kelly Takaya King, our coral reefs are our
first defense against erosion from sea level rise, in addition to the threats of climate
change and ocean warming. So, I think that a better way to take care of this is to
prohibit people from selling and accepting non-mineral sunscreens in our top selling
places for sunscreen like Target, Walmart, ABC stores and local dive shops.
If people in Hawaii only,use mineral based sunscreens, that will be a way better thing
to use on the skin and better for Hawaii's ocean life.
Sincerely,
Dasha Kala •
Ryland Keenan / Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
1-12-22
Chair, Dr. Herbert Richards III
RAWEEMC
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg A,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Dr. Richards III,
First off, thank you for your service to our county. My name is Ryland Keenan and I
have lived on the Big Island for five years now. I think that a law on banning all
chemical sunscreen should be passed here onHawaii Island because chemical
sunscreens damage our coral reefs and kill our marine wildlife. The chemicals that kill
the coral are all the chemicals in the oxybenzone family. The reason they kill the coral
is because they block the sunlight from reaching the algae in the coral and stop
photosynthesis from occurring.
No matter how many times we ban different types of chemicals related to
oxybenzone, chemical sunscreen companies will change around a few ingredients in
the chemical and be able to call it something completely different just so they can sell
their products here. I feel that it is wrong for these companies to do this because if
they continue to do so, and sell their products, our reefs might soon look like the dying
parts of the Great Barrier Reef.
Please support a county wide ban on the use of chemical sunscreens for the health of
our precious marine ecosystem.
Sincerely,
Ryland Keenan
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Aaden K. C/O Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 11, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair- Rebecca Villegas andVice Chair - Heather L. Kimball
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear.Rebecca Villegas and Heather Kimball,
This is Aaden K. I just wanted to thank you for your service on our island. I like the
ocean because I can swim and surf there and discover cool creatures I have never
seen before. I am really concerned about the use of chemical sunscreen. The
chemicals in some sunscreen that we use are affecting the ocean. That is bad
because there are living animals there and some are native to this island. If the ocean
has too much bad sunscreen, then I won't have ap lace to surf and the sea creatures
will die.
Before you put this letter in the trash I just want you to put yourself in the "shoes" of
the coral reef. What if no one did anything about the sunscreen situation? You would
have to go through pain and death. How would you feel if that was you?
Please be part of the solution and eliminate the use of chemical sunscreen on Hawaii
Island.
Aaden K.
Lucas Javier % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 12, 2022
Chair- Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair- Heather L. Kimball:
Hawaii County Council 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chairperson Rebecca Villegas,
Hi my name is Lucas and you probably have a solution to the problem I'll be
addressing in this letter: The use of chemical based sunscreen. Chemical based
sunscreen isn't good for us or for the coral reef that is found along our island's coast.
Yes, chemical sunscreen protects our skin from the sun, but look at what the
sunscreen is made of. Most sunscreens are based on chemicals like oxybenzone,
avobenzone, homosalate and nanoparticles. These chemicals, when applied, can
cause red skin, swelling and rashes and can even cause cancer, according to
researchers that have looked into the effects that chemical based sunscreens have on
us.
Chemical based sunscreen also negatively affects the coral reef. The
chemicals can damage the coral's DNA which increases abnormal growth and
deformities. It can also bleach the coral which you see often in the sea. According to a
study in 2016, when you swim with chemical based sunscreen on, chemicals like
oxybenzone can seep into the water. The corals absorb the chemicals which disturbs
the corals reproduction and growth cycles which causes the deformities and the
bleaching. Scientists at the Polytechnic University of the Marche Region in Ancona,
Italy, have seen this effect on the coral reefs they researched like the ones in the Red
Sea, the.Caribbean sea and the Indian Sea.
Think about this: If water is the blood of our planet flowing through venous rivers,
streams, and into our oceans, what does that make coral? Our heart. We simply
cannot survive without our heart; therefore, it's mandatory we heal and protect our
coral reefs. -Ian'Somerhalder
Please take serious thought into this. and I hope you do something about this
and ban chemical based sunscreen.
Best Regards,
Lucas Javier
Gavin Pries % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 QUEEN KA'AHUMANU HIGHWAY,
KAILUA KONA, HI 96740
December 15 2021
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Rebecca Villegas, and vice chair L. Kimball,
My name is Gavin Pries. I am thirteen years old and have grown up in Hawaii. I have
watched the corals change over the years and would like you to do something about
it. We should ban all chemical sunscreens from the Big Island because of the effect it
has on the reef, the fish, and us. From the article on the site Dailymail.co, 56% of
Maui's corals were bleached.in 2015 and 32% nere Oahu. We need to bring more
awareness to this living problem and ban all chemicals from sunscreen.
Sunscreen is not good for human health. A Harvard health article states, "The
chemical oxybenzone has been the most well known bad chemical, and can have an
effect such as crossing cell membranes and may interfere with your body's natural
hormone production."
The corals are dying and human health is at risk. If we don't act soon the healthy
coral will decrease, negatively impacting the fish population, which also will have an
effect on our island resources. So you should act fast and ban chemical sunscreen on
Hawaii Island.
Sincerely,
Gavin Pries
Elizabeth Santiago % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13th, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair- Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair - Heather L. Kimball
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Rebecca Villegas and Heather Kimball,
My Name is Elizabeth Santiago and at Innovations Public Charter school we learned
about chemical and mineral based sunscreens, both can be used to protect our skin.
However, I believe that chemical sunscreen on the Big Island should be banned
because of its negative effects on our coral reefs.
A few of the main ingredients that are harming coral reefs are, Oxybenzone,
Benzophenone-3,Octinoxate, Octocrylene, Homosalate, 4-methylbenzylidene
camphor, PABA, Parabens, Triclosan according to sustainable travel.org.
Also those ingredients can really do damage to the coral by bleaching the coral and
that leads to the coral getting damaged or dying. I grew up in Kailua Kona. Everyone
loves our beaches and coral reefs and we have to do our part and protect our
beautiful coral reefs. So please do your job and help us ban chemical sunscreen on
the big island.
Thank you for everything you have done in our community.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth S.
Cypress Willcox % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
12/15/21
Dr. Herbert Richards III
RAWEEMC
74-5044 Ane keohokalole highway, building A
Kailua-Kona, HI
Dear Dr. Herbert Richards III,
It has come to my attention that Hawaii has imposed a ban on the sale of all chemical
sunscreen products containing oxybenzone, a commonly found chemical in
sunscreens. I believe that this is a great choice and will help impact our island for the
better! I've lived on this island for the last thirteen years, and would hate to see it
change.
The only issues I find with this are that the cost of non-oxybenzone sunscreen is
much higher than non reef safe sunscreen, as it was previously a more niche market.
Titanium dioxide is proven to be reef safe, but is sold in more expensive sunscreens
due to it being a natural compound, rather than artificial. As well as this, some
companies are usinga similar compound to oxybenzone with the same negative
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effects on the environment.
I believe that drastically reducing the cost of titanium dioxide sunscreen and making it
more widely available would help reduce the amount of sunscreen related reef
pollution our island experiences even further. Banning benzoate sunscreens entirely
would be another step in the right direction, as they are the type shown to be the most
damaging to the reef.
We all care about the land and sea, and this will help us heal it going forwards.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter
Sincerely,
Cypress Willcox
A coral reef, a piece of the sea
Found in the shallows, from Hawaii to Miami
Chunks of rock, bits of debris
A small community, sunk at sea
Shining bright colors, vibrant oranges blues and greens
Yet one thing threatens to Bash the ecosystem to smithereens
A challenger approaches, bright and shining
In a metal tube, It's chemical sunscreen!
It saves your skin, but hurts the reef!
Try something else, a natural alternative
Titanium sunscreen, it drives up a premium!
Growing in cost through the season
Why, though? Is health the reason?
No matter the person, good sunscreen should be available
Even if they can't bring much to the table
Help keep our island in good health, you all!
I hope this has cleared some misconceptions about the reef
It's a place I really care about, you see
I would hate to see such a lovely place go to waste
So for your time spent I give you thanks
Please, do the right thing
And have a nice day
Ka'ale Youderian % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair- Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair- Heather L. Kimball
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Rebecca Villegas & Heather L. Kimball,
Hi, my name is Ka'ale Youderian and I think we should ban chemical sunscreen
because it's hurting the coral and other marine life.
We need these corals. They provide habitat for marine life.
Thank you for all your help in the community. I hope you will take this idea into
consideration and pass a ban on chemical sunscreens.
Ka'ale Y.
Maya Rae Barnreuther % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January, 13th, 2022 •
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 •
Dear Chair Rebecca Villagas and Vice Chair Heather L. Kimball,
Can you even imagine life without our coral reefs? I cannot! My name is Maya Rae, I'm in
eighth grade. I love the ocean, and the reefs are a part of what makes it so beautiful. Our
sunscreen is harming our coral and slowly killing it. I believe we should only be using
mineral based sunscreens to protect our reefs. As Maui Council Member Kelly King stated,
"Our coral reefs are our first defense against erosion from sea level rise and, in addition to the
threats of climate change and ocean warming, runoff from storms and development, and
seepage from wastewater injection wells, chemical sunscreens cause extensive harm to our
reef systems and marine life."
Using chemical sunscreen is damaging our coral. As stated by scientists at NOAA, "Sunscreen
pollution near tourist hot spots -- some reefs experiencing up to 6,000 visitors per day --
has proven to be a major factor in the destruction of coral reefs." That's why we should be
using mineral based sunscreen. Mineral based sunscreen is a good option to set some
positive changes to our environment. Our reefs are being harmed and they won't last for long
if we keep using chemical filled sunscreen.
Not only is coral beautiful in the ocean, but it plays an important role in the coastal
ecosystem. Because of the importance of coral reefs, it is only best that we strive to protect it.
I want you to ban chemical based sunscreens so we can keep our coral safe. Coral reefs are
crucial to our ocean, so we should do our best to help protect them.
Sincerely,
Maya Rae Barnreuther
Gavin Decker % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 15, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair- Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair- Heather L. Kimball
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Villegas and Kimball,
Thank you for all of your time and work making our community better. I am a student
at Innovation Public Charter School and I'm worried about the health of our ocean
water.
I think that sunscreen containing chemicals should be removed from all stores and
shops because according to Mr. King, Maui Council Member, and the Department of •
Land and Natural Resources say the use of sunscreen with chemicals can destroy our
reefs and ocean. Chemical sunscreen can be harmful to fish and coral. According to
the ocean foundation one drop of oxybenzone can harm four million gallons of water!
Mineral based sunscreens are safe for the reef and still block the sun from hurting our
skin. To keep residents and visitors from bringing and using sunscreen with all these
chemicals, you should place a ban on the chemical sunscreens. This will help the
future of our coral reef system here in Hawaii. It will also be a good example for other
places with coral reefs.
Sunscreens that contain chemicals are a danger to ocean life. By banning the
sunscreens with chemicals we will be protecting the ocean environment and all the
things that Hawaiian culture and people value related to our ocean. Please take the
steps into banning chemical sunscreen on our island.
Sincerely,
Gavin Decker
Soren Fesel c/o Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
1/11/2022
Dr. Herbert "Tim" Richards III, DVM
Regenerative, Agriculture, Water, Energy and Environmental Management Committee
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Dr. Herbert "Tim' Richards,
Hello, my name is Soren Fesel; I am a fourteen year old Innovations Public Charter
School student. I am concerned about sunscreen's adverse effects on our coral reefs.
Hopefully I can shed some light on this urgent issue. Corals are incredibly important
and necessary parts of reef ecosystems, however some sunscreen components are
doing serious harm to these vital organisms. Coral populations have declined over the
past few years, and one of the main factors in this decline is the use of
chemical-based sunscreen. Many non reef-safe sunscreens contain oxybenzone and
octinoxate, chemicals that damage coral and have other harmful effects on reefs.
There are several solutions for this issue however.
Oxybenzone and octinoxate are just a few examples of chemicals that damage coral
and make them more susceptible to other stressors such as climate change. These
chemicals not only damage coral's DNA, leading to harmful mutations and cell death,
but may block out sunlight and cause photosynthesising organisms that are in
beneficial symbiotic relationships with coral to be affected as well, indirectly causing
coral to suffer from the lack of light. According to oceanconservancy.org, reefs in
Hawaii are exposed to 6,000 tons of sunscreen lotion per year, which is a toxic
amount for coral. While a few harmful chemicals have already been banned,
sunscreen companies have found a loophole. By slightly changing the structure of the
banned chemical, creating a new but similar one, they can legally use the new
component that often has the same damaging effects, so it is necessary to ban all
forms of chemical ingredients.
Corals provide homes and protection for many forms of marine life. Corals are a
keystone species, without them the reef ecosystem would collapse. So, what can we
do to protect them? By banning all chemically based sunscreen we limit damage to
reefs. Additionally, we should promote the use of mineral based sunscreen, which are
proven to be safe for corals. These minerals include titanium dioxide and zinc oxide,
minerals that simply deflect the sun's UV rays instead of absorbing them like
chemically based ones do.
In the end, corals are crucial for marine life, which indirectly affects our well.being as a
society. Chemical based sunscreens are damaging coral, so it is necessary to ban all
chemically based sunscreen and support safe, and still effective mineral based
products. If we can achieve this goal, preserving our precious reefs, then we are one
step closer to tackling all the human-made problems that negatively affect the earth.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Soren Fesel
Kailynn Harrigan
73-4928 Manu Mele st.
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13th, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair- Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair- Heather L. Kimball
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Rebecca and Heather,
Hi,this is Kailynn,thank you for all the work that you have done for our
community. My name is Kailynn and I am a 7th grader student at the school IPCS. I'm
worried about the chemicals people are using in sunscreens. Some sunscreens are
bad for the reef because they kill the reef. I think we should stop the use of chemical
based sunscreens so the coral can stay healthy and bright. We don't want the coral to
be all gloomy and unhealthy because the fish won't be able to live there any more.
Coral needs to stay alive so that the fish can live in the coral and not be in
predator territory. Reef fish and other organisms need homes to live in and be in safe
places so they are not in danger. The coral is very important to the creatures in the
ocean. When the coral are in danger, all of the creatures in the ocean are in danger
and that is bad for our environment.
When people swim with chemical base sunscreen on,they're making the coral's
lives miserable. Please pass a law to ban the use of chemical sunscreen here on
Hawaii Island so our coral reefs can have one less problem to deal with. All of the
reefs need to be protected from the chemicals in the water that are spreading
quickly.and Kills fishes homes Reef safe sunscreen are mineral based not chemicals
Natural zinc works great. My favorite brand is Surf Mud. Some sunscreens are bad for
the reef because they kill the reef and that's not good.
The CO2 is making the reefs zuke's leave them because the zuke's are really
hot. When people leave the lights on there making the coral's lives miserable for them
to live.The coral is home to all types of creatures like wana, starfish, and maybe a
camoflash fish too. We need to keep all of the creatures safe from the bigger animals
like sharks, whales, and birds. We also have to keep them safe from storms like
hurricanes and more. Also fish need food so we need to make sure that they have
food to eat so they don't die from starvation and serious problems like getting eaten
by a shark or a whale.
We need to work together and help all of the fish and creatures survive these
dangerous waters. Also the reason the fish and creatures need to be protected is
because of all of the dangerous animals.Also the reason they want to eat all of the
fish and creatures is because they want to be the only animals left in the ocean. So
will you help the animals so they are good to go and live their life without being
threatened to leave their homes.
SMC&T&11,
ICAilly vi v rig wi
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Kolby Hiney
73-1186 Ahikawa Street
Kailua-Kona Hawaii 96740
1-11-2022
Holeka Inaba
The Hawaii County of Council
75-5706 Hanama PI # 109,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Holeka Inaba,
My name is Kolby and I am writing to you to inform you that you should ban the use of
non-mineral sunscreen here on Hawaii Island.
You should do this because it's better for our oceans and reefs. The non mineral based
sunscreens are horrible for our reefs and constantly killing them but the mineral based ones
are safe for the reefs and will help them last longer
Another Reason is Chemical sunscreens are also bad for us as humans and according to
Byrdie.com "Over the course of my career, I have seen chemical sunscreens fail to provide
reliable UV protection for my patients under real use conditions," she says. "I see surprise
sunburns, tanning, and darkening of freckles during their skin exams—all of which indicate
DNA skin damage." So as you can see we really should ban chemical sunscreens.
The third reason they should ban it is that pregnant women can get side effects towards the
baby. For example, the Washington Post says "Some experts are concerned that these
chemicals may be absorbed through the skin, leading to skin irritation, hormonal disruption —
even skin cancer." "In May, a preliminary study by FDA researchers found that the chemicals
may be absorbed into the skin at levels higher than previously believed.And a report
published in March suggests there may be risks to developing fetuses when pregnant women
are exposed to oxybenzone." Chemical sunscreens can also affect younger kids, again
Washington Post says "Adding to the confusion, the American Academy of Dermatology
(AAD) says sunscreen is safe, but the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)tells parents it's
best to not use sunscreens with oxybenzone on their kids."
We have the chance to save our reefs and our bodies from these harmful chemicals. The
Hawaii County Council needs to get rid of chemical sunscreen use on our island.
Sincerely,
Kolby Hiney
Kekona Hooper% Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
1/11/2022
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Holeka Inaba,
I am a student at Innovations and we have a big problem here in Hawaii; there are
more people coming here and using non reef-safe sunscreen. This is killing all the
ocean wildlife, like coral, fish and helpful marine algae. I am a thirteen year old boy
and I like the ocean. I love to eat fish and go fishing. I love to eat lobster too, but with
this sunscreen that is killing everything, I will not have all that. I am sure that other
people like the coral reef ecosystem, too.
I would love for the other generations to have the experience of fish. I have learned a
lot in school about what sunscreen does to the ocean life. I did not know that much
before this, but before I did know that the sunscreen would kill the reef. Now I know
what happens to the reef and what the chemicals do to fish.
The ocean is a big part of Hawaiian culture, I think more than half of what they did
was in the ocean. Help preserve the healthy and natural state of our island's coral reef
ecosystem. If you could only allow sunscreen that is reef safe, that would be a big
help.
Best regards,
Kekona Hooper
•
Dear Holeka Inaba,
We need a healthy reef.
But with all this sunscreen good grief.
The coral is a home for all the animals in the sea.
Just sit back and you can see the fish be free.
But this sunscreen is killing the reef.
If we use non reef safe sunscreen the reef will die.
Let's have something better we can buy.
Fish depend on the coral for homes and food.
Without food,that's no good
We need non reef safe sunscreen to be band
I know we can find something else to expand
I hope you take my message
And that this is managed
Thank you for your time
You have been so kind
Have a good rest of your day
Aloha,
Kekona Hooper
James Cintas % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 11, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair - Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair - Heather L. Kimball
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair Kimball,
Thank you for all you do for us. My name is James Cintas and I am an eighth
grader at Innovations Public Charter School. I We have been learning about
these chemicals in sunscreens, and the purpose of this letter is to ban all
chemical sunscreens that harm the coral reefs. We would love it if you could
not ban the sunscreen itself but if you can make it so you cant have dangerous
chemicals in the water affecting the people and the ocean life.
As a family, we enjoy spending time in the ocean; surfing, snorkeling or just
simply playing. Just like many others, my family and I use sunscreen to protect
ourselves from the sun's rays while we are at the beach. However, as of
recently, I discovered that various sunscreens contain chemicals that can
damage coral organisms and other marine life, as well. This knowledge has
provoked me to ask you both to ban these harmful chemical sunscreens, so
that we can protect our precious marine life.
When the chemical in the sunscreen goes into the water, it creates a layer
above the water. This layer acts like a dimmer lowering the amount of light
going through the water, so the coral can't get the sunlight and stops doing
photosynthesis, the coral can't grow and they die.
The sunscreen is damaging the coral from lack of sun, the fish need the coral
to feed on and without it they will start to starve to death. The people care
about the chemicals in the sunscreen because of what it does and we need the
coral so the fish don't die and other reefs don't either. Now that we know what
the sunscreen does to the coral, we should start to ban all those bad
sunscreens with chemicals in them, so the reef does not die and everyone and
everything stays healthy.
Sincerely,
James Cintas
Maddix Kamimura % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 11,2022
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Rebecce Villegas and Vice Chair Heather L. Kimball,
Hello my name is Maddix. I go to Innovative Public Charter School. Thank you for your
services to protect our climates and natural resources that we depend on. Now I'm asking you
for help to ban chemical sunscreen because according to Star Advertiser, non mineral
sunscreen is an aggressive pollutant that can affect the first line of marine defense which is
coral. If we destroy our amazing coral, the ocean will get a lot worse.
Another thing that chemical sunscreen can do is that it can affect us. For example, according
to the Washington post, "Some experts are concerned that these chemicals may be absorbed
through the skin, leading to skin irritation, hormonal disruption —even skin cancer."Also
there is a study that found that more chemicals are absorbed in your skin then what they
thought before so if a pregnant woman uses a sunscreen that has oxybenzone it may cause
problems for the baby inside. You should try and avoid all these problems together by banning
chemical sunscreen so we people in Hawaii will not get exposed to oxybenzone and have
problems.
I am now asking you to please help this cause so we can protect ourselves and the coral reef
from the attack of chemical sunscreens. Promote a good healthy life with healthy oceans, sea
life, and habitats. I thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Sincerely,
Maddix Kamimura
Brock Lewis % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
1/11/2022
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee,
Imagine that we have a world without healthy coral, clean water, and thriving fish.
That world will become a reality soon if we continue this cycle of toxic sunscreen use
here on Hawaii island. Hi, I'm Brock Lewis an 8th grader student from Innovations
Public Charter School and I am here to tell you how chemically based sunscreen is
bad.
Sunscreen with toxic chemicals is bad for humans just as much as it is bad for coral
reefs. How the chemicals from the sun screen destroy the coral is by the chemical
called oxybenzone. According to the FDA What it does is it bleaches the coral and
tampers the DNA of the coral, making the growth abnormal and also a high chance of
deformities . The other chemicals that help destroy reefs are avobenzone, octisalate,
octocrylene, homosalate, or octinoxate.
You might be thinking "why does so much companies keeps toxic chemicals in it?"
The reason why so many companies keep these toxic chemicals inside is because it
is less of a risk to get sun cancer. So what I'm trying to say is that it is good to have
sunscreen that has chemicals but just have sunscreen that does not contain that
much. Just look out for the ones that have oxybenzone
"So what?" We should be mindful about what kind of sunscreen we use because it
may contain some poisonous chiemal but look out for the ones that are not that bad.
"Who cares?" you should so we can slow down or stop the death rate of coral and life
in our ocean. "Now what?" you are helping save our hawaii environment.
Sincerely,
Brock Lewis
Strider Lietz-Forster, innovations public charter school
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
1/11/22
Hawaii County Council
Holeka Inaba
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Holeka Inaba,
I am a student of Innovations Public Charter School and we have been studying the
coral reef ecosystem. We've learned that certain sunscreens have been harming
marine life. The solution would be banning non mineral sunscreen because mineral
sunscreen sticks to the skin and not the ocean. I love the ocean and I hope you do
too, but if you want it to thrive we need to act now.
The effects of harmful sunscreen can be devastating. Around 14,000 tons of
sunscreen go into the world's ocean; it can seep into the coral poisoning it giving
ocean animals less shelters. Chemicals in sunscreen can cover the water blocking out
light for the coral, marine creatures and sea plants. Chemicals like oxybenzone can
bleach the coral, killing it. This will take away the places where most marine life eat.
My hope is that you can help us get rid of the harmful sunscreens and replace them
with mineral based ones. If the coral reefs aren't saved, the food chain can be broken,
possibly destroying the entire ecosystem. Without this ecosystem, the beautiful waters
we know of would be a thing of the past and food would decrease taking away many
jobs like fishing.
The ocean is being harmed with dangerous chemicals as we speak! Even if we can't
save every ocean on Earth, we should try to protect the amazing oceans of Hawai'i.
Sincerely,
Strider Lietz-Forster
Makena Honsberger
73-4441 Nehiwa St
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Tuesday January 11,2022
Hawaii County Council
74-5044Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Rebecca Villegas,
Hi! I am Makena Honsberger, an Innovations Public Charter School student.
As you probably know, sunscreens that contain UV filters such as Octinoxate,
Octocrylene, and Oxybenzone are harming marine life. We have to take action, or
our coral reefs, and much sea life, could be greatly affected.
These reefs, which require clear water and sunlight to fuel energy production
through photosynthesis, support more marine species than any other undersea
habitat. For instance, 60% of the state's tourist incomes are from reef visitors.
1
Marine life is affected the most greatly. Here are some of the effects of chemicals
found in sunscreen. Green Algae: Can impair growth and photosynthesis; coral:
Accumulates in tissues, can induce bleaching damaging DNA, deform young and
even kill; mussels: Can induce defects in young; sea urchins: Can damage immune
and reproductive systems, and deform young;fish: Can decrease fertility and
reproductive systems and deform young; dolphins: Can accumulate in tissues and
be transformed to young. You see what a tiny bottle of sunscreen can do to the
ocean life?
Oxybenzone and octinoxate aren't the only ingredients that may be damaging to
marine life. In fact, says Craig A. Downs, Ph.D., executive director of the nonprofit
Haereticus Environmental Laboratory,though oxybenzone and octinoxate are the
most widely studied, there are several other chemicals used in sunscreens and
other personal care products that research suggests might be an environmental
threat. And even sunscreens labeled "reef safe" aren't guaranteed to be harmless
when they leach into underwater ecosystems.
So you're probably wondering, now what? What are you asking us to do? Well, I'm
asking you to make a similar law like the one recently issued in Maui County.To
prohibit non-mineral sunscreens that contain chemical UV filters such as
octinoxate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone.Thankfully, mineral sunscreens with zinc
and titanium dioxide can still be allowed.Thank you so much for all you do!
Love and Respect,
Makena Honsberger
Maya Vincent% Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 11th, 2022
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Hawaii County Council,
Thank you for your work in the community! My name is Maya Vincent and I am an eight-grade
student at Innovations Public Charter School. My classmates and I have been learning about
the sunscreen issue and it's ban in Maui County. I agree with the ban of chemical sunscreens.
The issues that are caused by its use on our islands is important to me. I think it would be
healthier for the environment if we switched to mineral sunscreens so it won't damage the
coral and marine life.
One of the reasons I support the ban is because of the negative effect some of the chemicals
have on our coral reefs. Some of the most common damaging chemicals found in sunscreen
are oxybenzone, octinoxate, nano titanium dioxide, and nano zinc oxide.According to multiple
reliable sources, including the Center for Biological Diversity, the sunscreen is washed off
peoples skin and infects the water, leaving a layer of the cream on the ocean's surface. The
sunscreen prevents the coral from photosynthesizing because it blocks the sun's rays from
filtering through the water, causing the coral to die and decay. This is really damaging to the
ecosystem because the coral is very important for the protection of sea life. Coral provides
shelter and protection for smaller sea creatures and helps protect coastlines from the
damaging effects of wave action and tropical storms.
Another reason I am for the ban is because we can easily use mineral sunscreens to protect
our skin. The use of mineral sunscreens has many benefits. It has safe and effective
ingredients, it is ideal for children and people with sensitive skin, it offers immediate
protection, and it protects against UVA and UVB rays for longer periods of time. But, since
mineral sunscreens are thicker, they can sit on top of the skin and clog your pores, which can
cause acne breakouts.Although these effects can be an annoyance, mineral sunscreens are
still safer for the environment than chemical ones.
Please support the ban on chemical sunscreens and the use of mineral sunscreens as a main
alternative.Although we need sunscreen for protection, the coral reefs need to be protected,
too.
Mahalo for your consideration,
Maya Vincent
Ryden Pepperworth % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
1/11/2022
Chair - Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair - Heather'L: Kimball
Climate Resilience andNatUral Resource Management Committee
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair - Rebecca Villegas & Vice Chair - Heather L. Kimball,
Can you imagine a world where the ocean was filled with toxins that could kill
everything in it? It would be catastrophic and lead to a huge imbalance in the
natural world. Sadly, we are polluting our own beautiful paradise!
I think we should only use sunscreen that's safe for the ocean so it doesn't
cover the coral and kill it.Oxybenzone Sunscreen ingredient that disrupts coral
reproduction, causes coral bleaching, and damages coral DNA. Oxybenzone is
found in over 3500 sunscreen products worldwide. All sunscreen in Hawaii
should not have bad chemicals that could hurt us and the ocean.
Certain chemicals in most sunscreen can cause skin problems. A2020 FDA
study found that the body can absorb some chemicals for certain sunscreens. It
is proven that failing to protect yourself from the sun's UV rays can increase
your risk for multiple types of skin cancer. Luckily, mineral based sunscreens
can do just that, without harming the marine ecosystem!
We all should care. We need to use our knowledge to ban chemical sunscreen
and only use mineral based sunscreens that are truly safe. Now is the timeto
help the environment because the environment helps us.
Sincerely, .
Rydeti. Pepper-worth
Reena Quitugua % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 12, 2022
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair, Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair, Heather L. Kimball,
Thank you for your service and everything that you do for us. I'm thirteen years old,
born and raised on this island. I care very much about Hawaii, but our coral reefs are
under attack by chemical sunscreen.
We should ban non-mineral sunscreen because according to Kelly King of Maui
County Council, non-mineral sunscreen is an aggressive pollutant to our coral reefs
and it can affect the sea animals living in the coral reefs. Our coral reefs are facing so
many threats, one of them is sunscreen pollution. For example scientists estimate that
nearly 6,000 to 14,000 tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers and snorkelers into the
ocean every year.
We can revent this byusings mineral sunscreen because it's safe for the ocean
p9
environment and the coral reefs. Mineral sunscreen is also good for the skin because
it's less likely to irritate the sensitive skin.
You should ban-non mineral sunscreen because it's not good for our skin and the sea
animals and the coral reefs. This could really help our ocean. Thank you for reading
this letter.
Sincerely,
Reena Quitugua
Selah Vigil c/o Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 9674o
January 13, 2022
•
CRNRMC
Chair Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair Heather L.Kimball
Hawaii County Counsel
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair Heather L.Kimbal,
My family and I go to the beach with our friends often and I've just recently taken up surfing.
Lately though,I noticed that the clear film over the water isn't getting any better.This is
why I think we should ban non-mineral sunscreens to protect us and our coral reefs.
Non-mineral sunscreens are bad for our skin and the coral.These kinds of sunscreens have
chemicals such as octinoxate, oxybenzone, and octocrylene.Those chemicals harm the coral
reefs that protect us from sea level rise, ocean warming,climate change and runoff from
storms, according to Maui County Councilmember Kelly King. So,if we don't take action
soon,coral reefs will start being destroyed.
Although mineral sunscreens do not have bad chemicals in it,it does not protect your skin as
much as the non-mineral ones do.Even so, I still think we should ban chemical sunscreen
because there's a much harder impact on the reefs from non-mineral sunscreen,which I feel
overpowers the effects it does to us. In addition to this,ABCNews stated, "The only two
ingredients that are `Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective'by the FDA are the
mineral-based ones -- zinc oxide and titanium dioxide." Personally I think that mineral
based sunscreens do feel better on my skin and work just as well as chemical sunscreens.
Chemical sunscreens are actually making long term, negative effects on our coral reefs.If we
don't do anything about it soon,we will start running into many problems. Since global
warming is making our oceans rise,the coral reefs won't be able to help protect us from it;
but if we stop using chemical sunscreens now,we can get rid of one problem and focus on
others.The condition of our reef is getting worse and worse.Soon it will be so bad that it will
be too hard to reverse the harm we've done.
Thank you for reading what I have to say.Now I hope you consider banning non-mineral
sunscreens to help our coral reefs.
Sincerely,
Selah Vigil
Masi Lechu9a Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 9(0740
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Keira Yap % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
Jan 11, 2022
Hawaii County Council: CRNRMC
Chair Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair- Heather L. Kimball
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair Heather L. Kimball,
Thanks for the time you put in our community and all you do for us. I am concerned
that we are destroying our coral reef by using and bringing harmful sunscreens to
Hawaii.According to an ABC news article from February 2020, "Cindi Punihaole,
director of the Kahalu'u Bay Education Center, through her work, has observed the
deterioration of our coral reefs."
The use of sunscreens with chemicals is negatively impacting marine life and reefs.
According to NOAA, mineral-based sunscreens are safe. Especially the notably ones
made from zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and without nanoparticles. Our economy
is very dependent on tourism, and by protecting our coral reefs we are making sure
that our economy stays strong.
Chemical sunscreens are definitely impacting our environment, so what can you do
about this situation? I would like to ask you to support a ban on chemical sunscreens
on Hawaii Island so that we can put an end to this problem. Thank you for taking the
time to read this letter.
Sincerely,
Keira Yap
Kair+alu Alves% Ihnovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queeh Kaahm►.ahu Highway,
Kailua Kana, HI?67110
Jaluary 21, 2022
Chair- Dr. Herbert 'Tim"Rickards 172 DVM
Regenerative, Agriculture, Water, Ehergy, Auld Enviroh ental Manager sent Coi►.miftee
Hawaii Cowity (�ouHCi/
71/-501111 hue Keohokalole Highway, Bldg 8,
Kailua Koha, HI?67q0
Dear Dr. Herbert `Phi"Richards III,
First or, I would like to thank you, Dr. Herbert, for doing a/l the great things you
do for Hawaii. We heed to stop using sunscreens that are based oh chemicals. I want to
keep the reef atid fish healthy because the reef is oke of the reasons our island is the
most beautiful and majestic oke.
,Just imagine cobning to Hawaii and you're an vacation. You go to the beach to go
swimh.ing atid you see dead coral atid dead fish. We heed to &hake this stop.'What we
heed to do is stop there hoh-hinera.lr suhscreens from being used in ow- oceans.
Ohe of the main chemicals ih the sunscreen is called oxybenzone which is toxic to
corals, algae, sea urchins, fish and mar+,rhals. According to... a single drop of oxybenzone
im more tkaa 4;aim gallons of water is enough to endanger organisms. Am estimated
14,000 tons of rumecreem is believed to be deposited in the oceaks annually with the
greatest damage foumd ii,popular reef areas suck as Hawaii and the Caribbean.
After reading this I hope you cam cohcider bashing these sunscreens so we tali
protect the oceaa life akd ourselves.
Sincerely,
Kaimalu A
Emmet Arnott- % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 11, 2021
Regenerative,Agriculture, Water Energy, and Environmental Management Committee
Chair-Dr. Herbert "Tim" Richards III, DVM
Vice Chair- Holeka Inaba
Hawaii County Council
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway
Kailua Kona, HI 74-5044
Dear Dr. Herbert M. "Tim" Richards III,
I would like to thank you for your service and all that you do for Hawaii county. I, like
many others that live here, really enjoy the ocean and all of the activities that it entails.
However, chemical sunscreens are threatening the coral and many of the marine life
that call the ocean home. This is why I think it would be a great idea to ban the sale,
and use of chemical sunscreens, substituting for the far less damaging mineral
sunscreens, hats, rash guards, and umbrellas.
These chemical sunscreens contain oxybenzone, octocrylene, octinoxate and many
other chemicals that kill the reefs. Most consumers of these chemical sunscreens are
not using the recommended amount or re-applying whatsoever. Because of this fact it
would make sense to be using mineral based sunscreens and to really push for these
consumers to re-apply and use the recommended amount.
I think that coral reefs are absolutely stunning things. Can you imagine what it would
have been like to grow up without these reefs? To put it frankly, residents and visitors
of Hawaii love these reefs and it would be so awful to not have these beautiful natural
resources in our future.
I wholeheartedly thank you for reading this letter and I truly hope that one day our
coral reefs will return to their former glory and beauty.
Sincerely,
Emmet Arnott
No More Scars
By: Emmet Arnott
We wake up early,
Go to the beach,
Slather on sunscreen,
Trying to keep us from a foreseen burn.
Go and play,
Snorkel and delay,
The simple truth that we were sunburned anyway
Pain lasts for days
But the scar on the coral decays
And we just sit here acting blase
Once beautiful,
However this fact isn't disputable,
The coral is dying,
Will we allow it to intensify?
Will we keep denying?
Or will we step up and begin pacifying,
Let up with chemicals and start applying,
Coral safe sunscreens
Quit being immoral,
We aren't the only living thing that's mortal
Mikela Awana % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka `ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona,Hl 96740
January 13, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair - Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair - Heather L. Kimball
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Rebecca Villegas,
Hawaii is the most amazing place with beautiful reefs filled with all different types of
ecosystems of coral that fishes and other marine life depend on to live. But as you
might have heard of through recent years, the reefs have been in danger from many
different problems. Lately, one of the biggest issues they face is pollution from
sunscreens. Specifically, non-mineral based sunscreens as these have been linked to
coral reef bleaching. I believe that this is something we can prevent. I believe that the
use and sale of non-mineral sunscreens needs to be banned on Hawaii Island.
The coral reefs are the first defense against erosion from sea level rise,and is the
addition to the threats of the climate change of ocean warming.lt runoffs from the
storms and development and seepage from wastewater injection as well.Chemical
sunscreens cause harm to our reef systems and marine life. The reefs are under a lot
of pressure from pollutants we have caused. Applying sunscreen at the beach might
not seem harmful, and not all sunscreens are. When people use non-mineral based
sunscreens and then are in contact with the ocean, the product that protects them
from the sun can also seriously harm the coral reefs. Recent studies have found that
sunscreen chemicals in many popular products actually hurt and damage the corals.
They actually decrease corals' defenses against bleaching, damaging their DNA and
hurting their development. Therefore, sunscreens containing these chemicals should
be banned.
You should ban all non-mineral based sunscreens, not just the few sunscreens
containing harmful chemicals. We do not know how many chemicals may be hurting
our coral reef ecosystem and affecting the reef. If you ban sunscreen with
oxybenzone and octinoxate then sunscreen with other harmful preservatives will still
be legal to use and sell. As The Oceanic Foundation states, "Certain preservatives
can also be toxic to the reef." Parabens are fungicides and anti-bacterial agents that
extend the shelf life of the product. So in order to help keep the reefs safe, the County
of Hawaii should ban the usage and sale of non-mineral based sunscreen. This action
could potentially save the reef and bring back more life and color of our reefs in
Hawaii as Hawaii is full of living organisms and native ones that are at risk.
Sincerely,
Mikela Awana
Kaleo Bolton -C/O Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
Jan 11, 2022
Regenerative,Agriculture,Water, Energy, and Environmental Management Committee
Chair- Dr. Herbert"Tim" Richards III, DVM
Vice Chair-Holeka Inaba
Dear Dr. Herbert Tim Richards III,
I have lived in Hawaii my entire life and the beach is one of my favorite things.As of late, I
have noticed a change in the coral reefs. There has always been a film over the water, but it
has not gotten any better. Many small tide pools have lost almost all of their once abundant
life and some of my favorite swimming spots have become too gross for swimming. That's
why chemical sunscreens need to be banned from use here on our island.
Sunscreens are a very useful tool to prevent cancer and damage to the skin from UV rays.
However, the types of sunscreen the average consumer is using are harmful to the
environment. These types are called non-mineral sunscreens. These are chemical based and
put a film over the coral that is classified as a skeletal endocrine disruptor. "This can alter the
systemic hormonal regulation of the bone remodeling process and the skeletal formation".
Broken down this will make it almost impossible for the coral to grow and repair its structure.
Tourists are one of Hawaii's main sources of income making up 21% of the economy. One of
the main attractions of Hawaii is the ocean and its coral reefs; saying this I feel like you can
understand why having once abundant reefs die off is bad, really bad. While we want people
to enjoy the beaches, we don't want them to destroy it. This is why we should ban all
non-mineral sunscreens from use in the County of Hawaii.
Sincerely,
ka&o Trioniaisl?ot€on
Fida Coulon% -Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 12th, 2021
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair-Rebecca Villegas
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Rebecca Villeges,
Thank you for all your hard work in our community; it is all greatly appreciated! My name is
Frida and I am a student at Innovations Public Charter School. In school, the conversation of
chemical sunscreen has come up a few times. There are many brands of sunscreen that are sold
EVERYWHERE with chemicals falsely advertising how they are "Reef safe."However, when
you look at the chemical ingredients, you will find the complete opposite of what that brand is
advertising. To us at Innovations, that is horrible! We think selling and using chemical
sunscreen in all of Hawaii should be banned.
Why? Oxeybenzone. This chemical is super harmful to our reefs and oceans. It can even cause
cancer.A 2016 study of Oxeybenzone in sunscreen found that when it was exposed to baby
coral, it put distress on them and prevented the baby coral from getting the nutrients it needed
to survive.
Now what?You need to ban non-mineral, chemical, and non-reef safe sunscreen. I think this is
one of the only things we can do to improve this HUGE problem we have. This will help the
coral we have to survive as long as possible,prevent coral bleaching, and help them grow
healthier from the start.
Thank you so much for your time reading this and I hope we can work together and make this
change!
Sincerely,
Frida Coulon
Holden E. % Innovations PCS
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI.96740
January 13, 2022
Chair- Holeka Inaba
Vice Chair- Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder
PRPSC - Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Holeka Inaba,
It came to my attention that some sunscreens are becoming a problem because of
substances such as the well known oxybenzone. How do I know this? I scoured
through this helpful website known as the 'The Ocean Foundation.' It states that, "The
problem is these protectorates (spray on sunscreen) wash off in the water. For
example, for every 10,000 visitors enjoying the waves, about 4 kilograms of mineral
particles wash into the beach each day. That may seem relatively small, but these
minerals catalyze the production of hydrogen peroxide, a well-known bleaching agent,
at a concentration high enough to harm coastal marine organisms." That's all of the
evidence that would most likely prove that the sunscreen with the oxybenzone to be
banned.
am positive that all the sunscreens that damage the ocean should be banned from
all of Hawaii. I would like that, but I respect your decision either way. We do want to
keep the Hawaiian islands beautiful, now don't we? Thank you for your consideration.
Have a nice day.
Sincerely,
Holden.E
Faith Pai % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13, 2022
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Rebecca Villegas & Heather L. Kimball,
My family and I enjoy surfing at Pine Trees. When I walk to the beach, I see
individuals applying sunscreen, which makes me cough since it gets into the air. Why
does a particular sunscreen make me cough? I've been wondering. What's in these
sunscreens, and how do they affect the environment? Then, at Innovations,we began
to study more about what's in these products, and discovered that many sunscreens
include hazardous chemicals that harm our reefs and bodies.
After completing some investigations,we discovered that many sunscreens include
harmful compounds such as Oxybenzone. These Coral bleaching, DNA damage, and
aberrant development and malformations can all be caused by pollutants. As well as
causing illnesses like many types of cancer. Oxybenzone can be found in more than
3,500 sunscreen formulations around the world.
How can we contribute to the protection of our beaches and bodies from hazardous
chemicals? I'm asking for everyone's support in getting harmful chemicals outlawed
and making all sunscreens natural and environmentally friendly.
Best Regards,
Faith Pai
Raina Fukunaga c/o Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway
Kailua Kona 96740
January 11, 2022
CRNRMC: Hawaii County Council
Chair- Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair - Heather L. Kimball
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair Heather L. Kimbal,
Hawaii has some of the most beautiful coral in the world and while we want people to
be able to enjoy it, we don't want them to destroy it. Although visitors needto protect
their skin, they should beware of the chemicals in some sunscreens that can affect the
reef and skin. Chemical based sunscreens can cause skin cancer and damage to the
reef.According to The Ocean Foundation, tons of sunscreen are being deposited in
Hawaii's reefs every year.
Some people use harmful sunscreens because it's easier to buy/find. Another reason
is because non-harmful sunscreens tend to be more expensive and are tinted or
colored. No matter the reason, our economy and our way of life is strongly dependent
on our ocean. Therefore, when we choose to use chemical based sunscreen, we're
putting all these at risk.
Chemical based sunscreens harm the reef and the human skin. Hawaii County
Council should ban chemical based sunscreen. If you ban chemical based sunscreen,
it could help our reef be healthy and result in less chances of skin cancer.
Best Regards,
RDlivRikulriAlA
Kalea Manning % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
Jan 11, 2022
Hawaii County Council: Parks and Recreation and Public Safety Committee
Chair- Holeka Inaba
Vice Chair - Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Holeka Inaba,
My name is Kale'a! I really love swimming in the ocean and I really enjoy snorkeling.
But I have noticed that a lot of the reefs are dying and they are starting to look very
gray and it makes me sad. So I believe non-mineral sunscreen should be prohibited
because they are damaging not only to the reef but also to humans. Non-mineral
sunscreen contains a lot of harsh chemicals such as Benzophenone-3, Avobenzone,
Cylcopentasiloxane / Cyclomethicone, Formaldehyde, Diazolidinyl urea,
Quaternium-15, DMDM Hydantoin, Hydroxymethylglycinate, Homosalate,
Methylisothiazolinone, Nanoparticles, and Octocrylene. YIKES!
Non-mineral sunscreens are very bad for the environment because, according to a
study done by Environmental Health perspectives, globally over 14,000 tons of toxic
sunscreen enter the ocean each year. The chemical ingredients leaching into waters
and coral reefs is not just from swimmers, but from sewage. The ingredients found in
common household products rinse off our bodies and end up in lakes, rivers and
oceans.
Knowing the negative impact that the chemicals in non mineral sunscreen have, it
would be wise to ban the sale and use of such environmentally destructive products.
Sincerely,
�q1e
Moinninel
Kililani Smith % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
•
January 11, 2021
Hawaii County Council: Parks and Recreation and Public Safety Committee
Chair- Holeka Inaba
Vice Chair-Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Holeka Inaba,
Here in Hawaii we have beautiful reefs, filled with a whole ecosystem of coral, fish and
other marine life.And as you are probably already aware, in recent years our reefs
have been under intense pressure from many different problems harming the health
of our reefs. Lately, one of the biggest issues they face is pollution from sunscreens.
Specifically, non-mineral based sunscreens have been linked to coral reef bleaching
and harming the reef. The use and sale of non-mineral sunscreens needs to be banned.
Applying sunscreen at the beach might not seem harmful, and not all sunscreens are.
But if the sunscreen you just applied has certain chemicals found in most non-mineral
based sunscreens; once in contact with the ocean,what once protected you can
seriously harm our reefs.As the ocean conservancy states,"Chemicals commonly
found in many popular chemical sunscreens. Mainly oxybenzone and octinoxate,
(these convert the sun's rays in harmless heat on human skin), but once the chemicals
are in the water they decimate the coral's defences against bleaching. Damaging their
DNA and hurting their development."Sunscreens containing these chemicals should
be banned in Hawaii County.
We should ban all non-mineral based sunscreens, not just the few sunscreens
containing harmful chemicals. Some of the harmful chemicals to the reef but there are
still many harmful chemicals that could be used. If we only ban the screen using
oxybenzoneand octinoxate, then sunscreen with other harmful chemicals will still be
legal to use and sell. As The Oceanic-Foundation releases, "Parabens such as the
commonly used methyl paraben and butyl paraben are fungicides and anti-bacterial
agents that extend the shelf life of a product. Phenoxyethanol was originally used as a
mass fish anesthetic." So in order to help keep the reefs safe, the County of Hawaii
should ban the usage and sale of non-mineral based sunscreens.
Sincerely,
Kililani Smith
Maxon McCloskey % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 11, 2022
Hawaii County Council: Parks and Recreation and Public Safety Committee
Chair- Holeka Inaba Vice Chair- Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Holeka Inaba,
Thank you for the services you do for this county. I would like to tell you about a
problem that needs to be solved right now, the ban of non-mineral sunscreen. My
extended family comes to Hawaii every other summer and all they want to do is go to
the beach. If you banned the non-mineral sunscreen, then the,reefs-will hopefully
repair, so then more people would visit this island and we will have a stable and
healthy ecosystem.
The chemicals such as oxybenzone are toxic to the reefs, sea urchins, fish, and
mammals.As said by The Ocean Foundation, "An estimated 14,000 tons of
sunscreen is believed to be deposited in oceans annually with the greatest damage
found in popular reef'areas such as Hawaii and the Caribbean." We don't want our
beautiful coral reefs to die. Twenty-one percent of our economy is coming from
tourism, most of the tourists want to go out to the beach. I agree with the ban of
non-mineral sunscreen because banning chemical base sunscreen will keep the reefs
from dying.
Sunscreen pollution is killing most of the reefs in Hawaii and the Caribbean. ABC
news reported that, "Several on Maui, in the Hawaiian Islands, lost nearly 25% of their
living coral between 1994 and 2006." We don't know how many of those deaths were
from sunscreen, but we can tell that this is going to have a big effect to Hawaii's
ecosystem in the long term. Therefore I would like you to find a way to ban chemical
sunscreen for the safety of our environment. Thank you for your time in reading this.
Sincerely,
Maxon McCloskey
Yazzy McDonald
Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 11 , 2022
Hawaii County Counsel: CRNRMC
Chair Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair Heather L. Kimball
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair Heather L. Kimball,
I enjoy going to the beach with my family a lot and recently I thought to
myself that the clear film over the water isn't recovering or improving.
Non-mineral sunscreens are killing coral reefs that provide an important
ecosystem for life underwater. I am asking to please ban non-mineral
sunscreens, to help save our coral reefs.
Non-mineral/Chemical based sunscreens kill the coral reef and should not
be used on the beach. According to the Kohala Center, "Laboratory tests
confirm that chemicals found in most sunscreens, such as oxybenzone,
are contributing to coral decline." The chemicals affect coral growth and
reproduction. It harms fish and other marine life as well. The chemicals
harm the coral reefs which protect us from sea level rise, ocean warming,
and climate change.
It would be much better for our coral reefs if you ban chemical-based
sunscreens.
Sincerely,
Yazzy McDonald
Ryan Furuto Mears
77-6707 Nohealani P1
Kailua Kona, HI. 96740
Hawaii County Council Members
January 13,2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair-Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair-Heather L. Kimball
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway Bldg B
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Aloha County Council Members,
My name is Ryan Furuto Mears, and I am an 8th grader at Innovations Public Charter School in
Kailua Kona, Hawai'i.I have lived my entire life on the Big Island,and alongside most of the
population here,spend a lot of time at the beach.When I was younger,I used to free dive on many
of the beaches this island has to offer. I enjoyed watching the marine life freely move around in the
water,as well as looking at the colorful coral reefs on the bottom of the ocean's floor.Although my
interests have since changed,I still fully respect the reefs,along with the animals they house.
Unfortunately,the odds of future children born here seeing the same natural beauty I once did
appears to be uncertain.There seems to be an astronomical amount of non-reef-safe sunscreen being
produced across the world.
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration(NOAA),chemical sunscreen will
not stay on your skin for the listed amount of time,directly implying that the sunscreen runs into
the ocean.The chemicals in sunscreen can cause the bleaching/killing of coral(which other living
creatures rely on for survival)as well as defects in marine life such as mussels,sea urchins, and fish.
Additionally,although not scientifically proven,some believe that the consumption of these animals
can cause damage to humans when consumed.
The Ocean Foundation(a non-profit organization focused on protecting seas across the world)also
found that over 14,000 TONS of sunscreen is deposited into the ocean each year,with most found
in places such as Hawaii and the Caribbean.This communicates that we are among the top areas
impacted by this large issue.
If everything stated above feels bad,it certainly is. However,we have the opportunity to easily reduce
the damage to the ocean by switching to sunscreen lotions that are reef-friendly,with little to no
chemical additives.Beachgoers can also wear clothing such as a rash guard/hat to protect themselves
from the sun's harmful UV rays without having to harm the wonderfully unique marine life.
Although many people will not want to switch to reef-friendly sunscreen, as it costs more,or feels
oily/doesn't work as well,we do not have a choice if we want to save our oceans from further
damage.I believe that passing a law that requires the use of reef-friendly sunscreen may be the only
way to enforce positive change.
Many years ago,most stores on our island used hundreds or thousands of plastic bags each day.
These bags were often thrown away,or could be seen as litter on the side of the road. Today, as of
January 11,2022,you don't see nearly 10%of the plastic bags blowing in the wind, as stores have not
been allowed to use them since 2014. Most people complained about the change,but they eventually
got used to the change,and now our island is much better off.
Requiring stores to sell only reef-friendly sunscreen will also probably upset a large number of
people.Many will complain that they aren't even going swimming. However,only selling the
healthier variant of sunscreen may be the only way to enforce such a thing.
If we don't make this change now for future generations,we may cause irreversible damage to the
ocean,causing kids like me not to be able to experience the beauty of the sea.
Thank you for considering this information.
Mahalo,
Ryan F.Mears
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Caiden Mireles
15-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96140
January 13,2022
Chair- Dr. Herbert"Tim
Vice Chair-
" Richards III
Holeka Inaba
RAWEEMC (Regenerative,Agriculture,Water, Energy, and Environmental Management Committee)
14-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B, Kailua-Kona, HI 96140
Dear Dr. Herbert"Tim" Richards III,
Hello Dr. Herbert, my name Is caiden Mireles and I love going snorkeling in our beautiful ocean pondering
at our majestic coral. But the more I've gone these past years, I've noticed that more and more coral is
lacking its vibrant color and majestic feeling. Imagine using your life savings to come to Hawaii, and
when you plop into the water to go snorkeling,the only thing you see is dead white coral.This will be
reality if we don't ban non-mineral sunscreen.
Over 3,500 sun care products carry oxybenzone which is a chemical that will lead to coral bleaching.
Coral bleaching is when the coral's DNA gets damaged and increases abnormal growth and deformities. If
the coral bleaching continues,the coral dies.Coral is important because it protects coastlines from
storms and erosion.A lot of people depend on the coral reef in Hawaii. For instance, 60% of the state's
tourist income comes from reef visitors.
After reading this I hope you consider banning the use and sale of non-mineral sunscreen so our reef can
be healthier than it is today.
sinceirdy,
CAida) Mi'rele5
Nicholas Mast
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
1-13-21
Parks and Recreation and Public Safety Committee
Chair - Holeka Inaba
Vice Chair - Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Holeka Inaba,
I love snorkeling and seeing the reefs. It is really sad when I go in the water and there
are few fishes because the reefs are dead and can not support life. Chemicals such as
octinoxate and oxybenzone are polluting our oceans and killing our reefs. These
harmful chemicals can be found in many sunscreens. I believe the use and sale of
non-mineral sunscreen should be banned in the county of Hawaii.
According to The Ocean Foundation "An estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen is
believed to be deposited in oceans annually with the greatest damage found in
popular reef areas such as Hawaii and the Caribbean."This quote states that there
FOURTEEN THOUSAND TONS OF SUNSCREEN IN THE OCEAN THAT'S CRAZY!
Banning the sale and use of non-mineral sunscreen would be so great for the
environment. If we do not do something about it now, it may be far too late to save
our reefs.
You should ban non-mineral sunscreen from being bought and used here on the Big
Island to save our reefs and ocean ecosystems.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Mast
Kayla Shand
Kakahiaka st.
Kailua Kona, 96740
January 15, 2022
CRNRMC
Chair- Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair- Heather L. Kimball
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair Heather L. Kimball,
Hi, my name is Kayla. Whenever I go to Pine Tree's with my family, my cousin and I
always go surfing no matter the tide. When it's low tide and we go surfing we notice
the reef is very dead and we always wonder why. Then we learned that part of the
problem could be from the sunscreen people wear in the water when they are surfing
or swimming.
Seeing the reef this way makes me sad because we have such a beautiful ocean and
we treat it disrespectfully. I believe that chemical based sunscreen is very bad for our
ocean and our bodies.. According to Dr. Craig Downs of Haereticus Environmental
• Laboratory, "Kahalu'u is dying". Further stated in this Abc News article, chemical
based sunscreen can badly damage the reef and also cause skin cancer. •
I would like you to ban all non reef safe sunscreens. This will really help our
environment.
Thank you.
Morl.e sh�v�d
Taira Aoki
82-989 Coffee Dr
Captain Cook,Hawaii, 96750
1-13-21
Hawaii County Council:Parks and Recreation and Public Safety Committee
Chair-Holeka Inaba
Vice Chair-Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway,Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona,HI 96740
Dear Holeka Inaba,
My name is Taira Aoki.I love surfing and snorkeling and it makes me so sad when I dip my head
underwater and see the grey,dying coral.Would it not be better to look down and see bright colorful
reefs instead of grey dying ones?According to the Ocean Conservancy,non-mineral sunscreens are
killing our reefs! How?Because there's toxic chemicals in them like octinoxate and oxybenzone.
Chemicals like these are so bad for the reefs and the reason they are greying.Mineral sunscreens are
better because they still protect us from sun rays and do not kill our reefs.I personally think the
County of Hawaii should ban the use and sale of non-mineral sunscreens because our reefs hold so
much life and beauty and we want them to stay that way.
If nobody bans the sale and use of non-mineral sunscreen,oceans may become so nasty and dead
that no one will want to go in them.If you do not do something now about saving our reefs,it may
be far too late.
Our reefs are dying and we need your help to save them.Thank you so much for reading my letter.I
hope you greatly consider this and do what you see fit.
Sincerely,
Taira Aoki
Lanz Vitales % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 11, 2022
Hawaii County Council: PRPSC
Chair- Holeka Inaba and Vice Chair Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Holeka Inaba,
Coral reefs support 25% of life in our oceans. My name is Lanz and I want to talk
about the problem that is putting our coral reefs at risk. Chemical based sunscreen is
causing damage like bleaching our coral reefs, damaging coral DNA, deforming
young coral and sometimes even killing them. I think that a ban of chemical based
sunscreen in our county.would be beneficial.
In addition to being safe for our reefs, mineral based sunscreen does the exact same
thing as chemical.based sunscreen. Both types of sunscreen have their pros and
cons such as chemical based sunscreen performing better in tests, but can cause
allergic reactions while mineral based sunscreens are fast to take effect, but it leaves
a white film on your skin. According to Everyday Health, overall mineral based
sunscreen is still safer for humans and for the natural environment.
The ban of chemical sunscreen should go into effect. The longer we wait to do this the
more we'll have to do to reverse this. Eventually the damage we have done will be
irreversible. And, after that we will lose our precious ocean ecosystem that surrounds
us.
Sincerely,
Lanz Vitales
Lanz Vitales % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 11, 2022
Hawaii County Council: PRPSC
Chair- Holeka Inaba and Vice Chair Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Holeka Inaba,
Coral reefs support 25% of life in our oceans. My name is Lanz and I want to talk
about the problem that is putting our coral reefs at risk. Chemical based sunscreen is
causing damage like bleaching our coral reefs, damaging coral DNA, deforming
young coral and sometimes even killing them. I think that a ban of chemical based
sunscreen in our county would be beneficial.
In addition to being safe for our reefs, mineral based sunscreen does the exact same
thing as chemical based sunscreen. Both types of sunscreen have their pros and
cons such as chemical based sunscreen performing better in tests, but can cause
allergic reactions while mineral based sunscreens are fast to take effect, but it leaves
a white film on your skin. According to Everyday Health, overall mineral based
sunscreen is still safer for humans and for the natural environment.
The ban of chemical sunscreen should go into effect. The longer we wait to do this the
more we'll have to do to reverse this. Eventually the damage we have done will be
irreversible. And, after that we will lose our precious ocean ecosystem that surrounds
us.
Sincerely,
Lanz Vitales
Makuakai Atkinson %innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
December 15, 2021
RAWEEMC
Chair- Dr. Herbert "Tim" Richards III, DVM
Vice Chair-Holeka Inaba
Hawaii county council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair- Dr. Herbert "Tim" Richards III, DVMt,
I would like to say thank you for your services. Thank you for all the things you have
done for Hawaii, but I would like you to please ban the use of non-mineral sunscreen
in our county.
Over 10% of the coral reef worldwide has died from sunscreen. In non-mineral
sunscreen there is a mineral called oxybenzone. Up to 6% of sunscreen bottles are
filled with oxybenzone. The reason why oxybenzone is in sunscreen is because it
does a good job protecting skin from UVB and UVA rays. Unfortunately, it also does a
good job of bleaching the coral and doing damage to the DNA in the coral as well. Not
only does it affect the coral, the fish that live in the reef have nowhere to live. Without
a sustainable place for fish they will die and pollute the water. A chemical called
octinoxate also causes bleaching in the coral reef. Thankfully this chemical has been
banned from Hawaii unlike oxybenzone.
Even though there are bad chemicals for coral reefs, there can be less harmful
minerals in sunscreen. For example zinc oxide is in sunscreen and has been proven
to be a reliable protection from UV rays. Coral bleaching has not been shown with
Zinc oxide.
Thank you Dr. Herbert "Tim" Richards III, DVMt for considering what I have to say
about the possible ban on sunscreen. Please take action on this issue.
Sincerely,
Makuakai Atkinson
Satchel Duke % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13th, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair- Rebecca Villegas
Vice-Chair- Heather L. Kimball
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chairperson Rebecca Villegas,
Hi, my name is Satchel and I go to the beach a lot with family and friends and it is always so
fun! If the coral is ruined by the chemical-based sunscreen that we all use, then we won't be
able to enjoy the ocean as we do. We need to cherish and protect the coral reefs of Hawaii.
Coral reefs provide a buffer, protecting our coasts from waves, storms, and floods.According
to Noaa.gov, coral reefs protect against 97 percent of the energy from waves, storms, and
floods, helping to prevent loss of life, property damage, and erosion. Coral reefs also prevent
erosion, protect the coastline from storms, and give a reliable ecosystem to over 1 million
aquatic species.
Coral reefs are also a really cool place to explore, being a home to thousands of marine
species, they are beautiful, corals come in a wide array of shapes, sizes, and colors. Coral
reefs clean the water they're in. There are so many types of coral some examples are:
Staghorn Coral, Leaf Coral, Cabbage Coral, Elkhorn Coral, Carnation Coral, Bubble Coral
and Venus Sea Fan Coral.
Chemical-based sunscreens put pressure on the ocean ecosystem. Sunscreen covers the
coral and blocks them from the sun that they need. Oxybenzone sunscreen ingredient that
disrupts coral reproduction, causes coral bleaching, and damages coral DNA.
We should.do everything that we can to protect the coral reefs from chemical-based
sunscreens. Please ban the use of these dangerous chemicals on our island.
Sincerely,
Satchel Duke
Maximillian Gomez-Wood % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
December 15,2021
Parks and Recreation and Public Safety Committee
Chair- Holeka Inaba
Vice Chair- Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chairperson Holeka Inaba,
Thank you for helping our community so much. I just wanted your help to stop people
from using non-reef safe sunscreen and killing the beautiful ocean ecosystem, making
it look dead and empty. When people use the non-reef safe sunscreen it goes on the
reef blocking it from the sun and killing it. If the reef dies, then the fish that feed off the
reef will die and the bigger fish that eat the smaller fish will die, too. That will make the
coral reef ecosystem die and then no one would want to go in the ocean.
If you ban the non-reef safe sunscreen, and people instead use mineral sunscreen,
then the reef and ocean will be better and will not die. But if we can't do that, then we
could just ban the use of the sunscreen in the ocean and people could use it in pools
and on the beach just not in the water.
I hope you hear this and I hope that this will help bring about a ban on the use of
non-reef safe sunscreen on Hawaii Island.
Sincerely,
Maximilian Gomaz-Wood
Wyatt Harpster
75-5324A Mamalahoa Hwy
Holualoa, HI 96725
January 13, 2022
Rebecca Villegas
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chairperson Rebecca Villegas,
I think that we should ban chemical sunscreens because they are covering our coral reefs and
killing them. The factories that produce the sunscreens are aware that the non-mineral
sunscreens are bad for us and the environment, but they are still making them.According
to... from 1994-2006 we've lost at least 25% of our coral reefs, those were only the reefs
between Hawaii and Maui. In one study it shows that 6,000 tons of sunscreen are exposed to
our coral reefs every year.At this rate we will lose our reefs if nothing is done to stop the
damage being caused by these chemicals. There are other sunscreens that are safe and
should be used.
If we keep using non mineral sunscreen we will lose our beautiful coral reefs and the draw of
tourists to Hawaii might drop. More than 16 billion dollars is made from the tourism industry
and people come from around the world to see our live, bright coral. This could have an
extreme effect on Hawaii's economy. It only takes 15 million litres of sunscreen to kill coral.
Physical sunscreens contain tiny minerals that act as a shield deflecting the sun's rays. For
every 10,000 visitors enjoying the waves, about 4 kilograms of mineral particles wash into the
beach each day.
An average of 412 pounds of sunscreen was deposited daily on the reef at Hanauma Bay, a
popular snorkeling destination in Oahu that draws an average of 2,600 swimmers a day. Just
imagine the effect the sunscreen has on nature all across the world. If the sunscreen is
floating through the water and the fish have no choice but to absorb the toxins all the time,
imagine the pain. We clearly have a serious problem that needs to be taken care of before it's
too late! If Hawaii island follows the lead of Maui county on this issue, maybe Oahu will be
next!
Wife HaTsfee
lolani Campbell
76-6303 Kaheiau St
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13th, 2022
Regenerative, Agriculture, Water, Energy, and Environmental Management Committee
Chair- Dr. Herbert "Tim" Richards III, DVM
Vice Chair-Holeka Inaba
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Dr Herbert Richards,
Thank you for all of your hard work, county Council, but I'm bringing this sunscreen
problem to your attention. I'm lolani Campbell, and I recently found out what harm
some sunscreens can do to human skin and the coral reef.
Some of these products could give major skin.cancer. Scientists that study chemicals
in sunscreen have proven this too, FDA is an organisation who has proven this, and
honestly, if we have an option not to use these products, I don't get why we choose to
use it knowing what harm it does. Oxybenzone is a chemical that causes skin cancer
and hurts the coral reef! Like oxybenzone and other chemicals can cause bleaching to
the coral and can cause losing DNA to it. Our Scientists should do more thorough
research and testing on all the chemicals before using them because we all don't want
skin cancer from sunscreen.
Explain HOW the chemicals affect the coral reef. What happens when coral is
destroyed?
Thank you for reading this. I really hope we can do something about these chemicals
in our sunscreens. We would all appreciate not having to look out for sunscreens that
could cause skin cancer and coral reef destruction.
Sincerely,
lol�v�i GAV119&ll
Kyhli Ballenger% Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI%740
Jan 5,2022
Regenerative,Agriculture, Water, Energy,and Environmental Management Committee
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair- Dr. Herbert"Tim" Richards III, DVM,
My name is Kyhli and I have a strong belief that I would like to share. Our waters have been
tremendously damaged by sunscreen. In July of 2018, Hawaii became the first U.S.state to ban the sale
of sunscreens containing two common chemicals,oxybenzone and octinoxate, which many researchers
worldwide have deemed potentially harmful to aquatic life.Yet there is still non reef-safe sunscreen;they
just put reef safe on the label without checking the ingredients.
Our ocean has a lot of issues with the chemical components of sunscreen. In a 2016 study by Downs and
colleagues from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAH)and other institutions,
the authors found that"baby coral exposed to oxybenzone and octinoxate exhibited signs of distress,
including coral bleaching—a condition that leaves coral vulnerable to infection and prevents it from
getting the nutrients it needs to survive—as well as DNA damage,and abnormalities in their growth and
skeleton.,skin."
To make matters worse,the chemicals in these sunscreens do not even stick on your skin 90%off it falls
off in the water. (JUhen I surf,most of my sunscreen comes off. I love to surf, but it's sad to see the ocean
hurting when I love the ocean. But it hurts me to see the ocean hurting when I see my reef safe
sunscreen fall off, I still fed bad being reminded that there are some that hurt the ocean.
I hope you take this into consideration and make non-reef sunscreen illegal.
Just a short thing to consider.
Kyhli Ballenger
Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13th 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair- Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair- Heather L. Kimball
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740,
Dear Chairperson Rebecca Villegas,
Hi it's Paola. I just wanted to start off with, thank you for all the work you have done
for our community. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the United States,
and we should take all the steps to keep it that'way. I want to bring to your attention
the problem of chemical sunscreens and their effect on the ocean environment.
We should not have toxic sunscreen polluting our beautiful ocean ecosystem. We can
save a lot of coral from toxic sunscreen chemicals like oxybenzone that makes the
coral die. The coral disappears because of the oxybenzone and octinoxate toxins
in the sunscreens."An estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen is believed to be deposited
in oceans annually with the greatest damage found in popular reef areas such as
Hawaii and the Caribbean." It is also very toxic to us humans.
Hawaiian people love the ocean. That is why we have to keep our ecosystem nice
and healthy. We have a lot of tourists coming from the mainland to Hawaii to see our
ocean. Back in the days the Polynesians always went out fishing to get food, they all
liked to swim and surf in it. I like to surf so I don't want to be surfing in the ocean that
has dead coral, and not a healthy ecosystem. Therefore you should talk to you and
your people to end your toxic- sunscreens.
Mahalo,
Paola Martinez-Sanchez
Matt Pelayo CIO IPCS
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Rebecca Villegas
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chairperson Rebecca Villegas,
Thank you for everything you try and are doing for this wonderful community. I would
love to contribute to yourcause of caring for our island and I have a few points to
share with you to help your case. One of them is that some sunscreens are bad for
you! One chemical in these harmful sunscreen is called oxybenzone which can
disrupt your hormones and make them act out in all types of unwanted ways.
Chemicals like these in sunscreen can actually deprive you of vitamin D to the point
you need to ask your doctor for vitamin D supplements.
Another horrible thing I found is that chemicals found in sunscreen can harm and
lessen the photosynthesis in green algae. The chemicals can damage the algae and
make them smaller. This can make the photosynthesis that comes off of this ocean
plant can affect the oxygen in the air.
As we can see, chemicals in many sunscreen products cause a major problem for the
environment but also for oneself. You should try to eliminate these products from use
in Hawaii. Thank you for your time and I hope you will support a county ban on
chemical sunscreens.
Sincerely,
Matt Pelayo
McKade Westlund
Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair- Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair- Heather L. Kimball
Dear Hawaii County Council Member,
I am in support of a ban on the chemicals found in most sunscreens.
According to a study sunscreens cause the rapid and complete bleaching of hard
corals, even at extremely low concentrations.
This county-wide band would help protect the precious coral reef that blesses our
shores.
Mahalo,
Mck�d� w&Ou i
Maximus Meyers % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona,HI 96740
January 13,2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Hawaii County Council
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway,Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair-Rebecca Villegas,
As keki of Hawaii we want our aina to be preserved for not only our generations, but future
ones too, this includes our oceans. I believe that Hawaii county should ban non-mineral sunscreen
products island wide.According to Kelly King, "Our coral reefs are our first defense against erosion
from sea level rise and, in addition to the threats of climate change and ocean warming."This shows
that as we use non reef safe sunscreen,we are risking the rise of sea levels, loss of habitats and our
ocean potentially being a big hot tub!
According to data compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "In many
cases, local infrastructure is strained,waste treatment is mismanaged and as a result, natural habitats
are destroyed. In tropical areas such as Kahalu'u Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii." Kahaluu is not only
fun for surfers but also for the tourists who come and snorkel around the reef. What fun is it when all
you see is bland white coral and sand. We want our coral reefs to be colorful and abundant!This
means that even though we may not be able to save every reef here, at least we will be able to give our
very best effort.
So what?We want a change!Thus we can keep Hawaii the way it is for our generation by
putting a ban on non reef safe sunscreen.As we can make changes to our reef and have a healthier
ecosystem for our marine animals the more abundant and healthy everything will be. Let us be the
spark in change!
Sincerely,
Maximus Meyers
Micah Gardner c/o Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 9674o
January 13, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chair Rebecca Villegas and Vice Chair Heather L. Kimball,
My name is Micah Garnder and... share what you do at the ocean and how it is a natural
resource that is important to you!
I want the county of Hawaii to legislate a ban on non-mineral sunscreen because coral reefs
support more species than any other marine environment and protect us from waves and
flooding. Our Hawaiian Island coral reefs have nearly lost 25% of living coral between
1994 and 2006, this is due to the nearly 400,000 visitors and beachgoers per year that has
resulted in a steady stream of chemical pollutants commonly found in sunscreens and
lotions being introduced to local waters. That's why I think the County of Hawaii should
legislate a ban on the sale of non-mineral sunscreens.
According to Maui County Council Kelly King, non-mineral sunscreens are an aggressive
pollutant. King also says that reefs are our first defense in erosion from sea level rise, and
in addition to the threats of climate change and ocean warming, runoff from storms and
development, and seepage from wastewater injection wells, chemical sunscreens cause
extensive harm to our reef systems and marine life. Banning non-mineral sunscreen would
do a small part to prevent our reefs from dying.
I think the County of Hawaii should legislate a ban on the sale of non-mineral sunscreens
i - -
because the chemicals in them such as oxybenzone and octinoxate are toxic to our coral
reefs and marine life. I also think that we should ban the sale of non-mineral sunscreen
because my local reef breaks will start to also be affected by these non-mineral sunscreens.
Sincerely,
Micah Gardner
Haileyann Thomas % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13, 2022
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair- Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair-Heather L. Kimball
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chairperson Rebecca Villegas,
I would first like to personally thank you for,everything you've done for our county and all of
our community, but there's one issue I would like to bring to your attention,
According to Anna Smith, (Ocean Acidification Program) coral reefs in Hawaii are exposed to
over 6,000 tons of sunscreen lotion every year, that's over 12,000 pounds of sunscreen
lotion!! I am for the ban that would get rid of chemical sunscreens. If we start off with banning
these common harmful sunscreens, we may be able to make reef safe sunscreen that works
towards a variety of skin types.According to Maui County, there are some individuals who are
against the ban of these toxic sunscreens because the non-mineral sunscreens leave a
"whitish residue" on the skin. These toxic sunscreens need to go, the colored residue it leaves
on your skin should be the least of our worries. "Once these chemicals are in the water,they
actually decrease coral's defenses against bleaching, damaging their DNA and harming their
development."These chemicals in our sunscreen are killing the organisms in our only ocean,
do you really care more about how you look at the beach than how these chemicals affect our
environment?
All of these sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate and similar chemicals are
killing and stopping the reproduction and growth of our coral, along with that other marine
wildlife!A 2015 study showed that oxybenzone causes very serious damage to our reefs.
"Concentrations as low as the equivalent of one drop of water in six-and-a-half Olympic-sized
swimming pools." In Hawaii alone,the concentrations are more than ten times that amount
that have been measured at other popular beaches. Non-mineral sunscreens have many
benefits so why aren't we encouraging the use of them? How would it feel knowing that YOU
could work towards a solution that could save our reefs and oceanic ecosystem? We need to
get rid of these toxic sunscreens and switch to non mineral ones to help out the ocean and
ourselves.
Sincerely,
Haileyann Thomas
Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
December 15, 2021
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair- Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair-Heather L. Kimball
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona. HI 96740
Dear Rebecca Villegas,
My name is June Wheeler. First I would like to say thank you for all you do for our
county, but there is one thing that could make it fall apart. As a surfer, I dearly care
about our oceans. I love every little ripple in the water. I love the waves I surf,the
beauty of the water, and I also love the reefs and all of the beautiful coral. However,
sunscreen is killing our reefs, our fish, our skin, and our precious resources.
Unnatural sunscreens are unhealthy for the skin. Scientists claim that chemical based
sunscreens could possibly cause skin cancer. This is unhealthy for us, because when
people rub these products on their skin,they're just rubbing poison into their pores.
Also, chemical sunscreen is killing the reefs. The chemicals eat at the coral and they
end up dying. It also harms the sea creachers and organisms that rely on coral. The
fish can't handle the chemicals, but also if the coral is gone, they don't have food. So if
their food disappears,they may too. I can also affect land animals that breathe in the
chemicals.
Lastly, spray sunscreen is wasteful. Even if the sunscreen has good ingredients, it is
wasteful because about one percent of the spray on sunscreen actually gets on your
skin. The other ninety-nine percent just floats through the air. Also what do we do with
the canes and toobs when they're empty? Me and many of my fellow classmates
dearly care for the reefs and all the Organisms that rely on them. It would be so helpful
if you could try to pass and enforce a "no chemical sunscreen" policy.
Thank you for reading this Ms. Villages.
Sincerely,
June Wheeler
Aili Ynigues % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 21, 2021
Regenerative, Agriculture, Water, Energy, and Environmental Management
Committee
Chair- Dr. Herbert "Tim" Richards III, DVM
Vice Chair -Holeka Inaba
Hawaii County Council
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
Dear Dr. Herbert Richards III, DVM
Thank you for all the work that you do to protect our environment. As a student at
Innovations Public Charter School I'm concerned with the impact of sunscreens and
the health of our reefs.
Chemical sunscreen can be very bad to our ocean and is also bad for our reef.
According to an article published by the ABC News, coral reefs are one of the most
valuable ecosystems and require clear water to go through the process of
photosynthesis. The use of the chemical sunscreen impedes the process of
photosynthesis and therefore puts the coral reefs at risk.
Hawaii's economy and culture is greatly based on our beautiful ocean, but
unfortunately the number of tourists that contribute to our economy also deposit tons
► of sunscreen in the ocean.
We definitely want the tourists to come to Hawaii and enjoy our beaches, but they
should do it without putting our marine environment in danger. Therefore, I ask you to
work on banning chemical sunscreens frome our county.
Sincerely,
Aili Ynigues
Tia Yokoyama % Innovations Public Charter School
75-5815 Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway,
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
January 13, 20222
Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management Committee
Chair - Rebecca Villegas
Vice Chair - Heather L. Kimball
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg B,
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Dear Chairperson Rebecca Villegas,
I am Tia Yokoyama, an eighth grade student at Innovations Public Charter School.
Research from Ocean Controversy shows that Hawaii's reefs are exposed to more
than 6,000 tons of sunscreen every year. I found this to be a very sobering thought
because the ocean is a place I have always loved and a place I enjoy going with my
family.
According to the Kohala center, chemicals found in most sunscreens such as
oxybenzone harm the reefs and fish, and other wildlife. If these species die off, then it
will throw the entire ecosystem off balance which will be unfortunate and preventable.
The article further goes on to say that these chemicals affect the coral's growth and
reproduction.
We should ban the sale of non-mineral sunscreens in Hawaii county to protect our
reefs, our oceans and the wildlife in them.
Using mineral sunscreen has many benefits. Chemical sunscreens get absorbed into
your skin and doctors even have to advise pregnant or breastfeeding women not to
use it because of this absorption. In contrast, mineral sunscreen doesn't get absorbed
into your skin, milk, or urine. The main ingredients in mineral sunscreens don't affect
the reef.
So if these sunscreens are just as effective and don't have as many harmful effects,
then why aren't we using them? You should work towards banning non-mineral
sunscreen for a healthier marine ecosystem. Thank you for taking the time to read this
letter.
Sincerely,
Tia Yokoyama