HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0771.241 2020-2022 p/Goun.cil
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From: Kris Bruland
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2022 3:58 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Support for Bill 167
Attachments: blue-rice-coral-2016 jpg; blue-rice-coral-2022 jpg Ix) -4.1.
Dear Hawaii County Council, _ 71.2
This letter is in support of Bill 167 to prohibit non-mineral sunscreen sales and distribution on Hawai.....lanaF
I have taken hundreds of thousands of underwater photos over the past 10 years along the Kona Coast, and from
personal experience can tell you that the condition of the reefs is degrading, particularly in heavily-visited places like
Kahalu'u Bay.
It is extremely important to do anything possible to help sustain our coral reefs; they are stressed by multiple factors
including a variety of chemicals found in non-mineral sunscreens, many of which are still labeled as "reef safe".
Please look at the two attached photos that I took in the same location at Kahalu'u Bay both now and about 6 years
ago. These both show blue rice coral, endemic to Hawaii and found only here.
The older one shows healthy coral just a few years later, and the recent one shows weakened and dying coral, which
is sadly all too common now.
Please pass Bill 167 to prohibit non-mineral sunscreen sales and distribution on Hawaii Island. There are other
alternatives which do not harm our reefs and we urgently need to protect them.
Thanks for your consideration.
Kris Bruland
Comm.No. ` 1 .241
Ref.To: P t tOlAA
Ref. Date JUN 0 1 2022
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