HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0771.266 2020-2022 P/C,ounCiiI
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COOCOUNTY OF HAWAII
From: Topher Dean
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2022 8:50 AM 1011 NAY 26 AM 8: 59
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Bill 167
Dear Council members,
Thank you for listening to the citizens of Hawaii County. As President of
Recycle Hawaii, Precinct President of the DPH 7-3, Founder of Clean The
Pacific, and Member of the Environmental Caucus of the DPH, I can assure you
that the overwhelming majority of citizens are in favor of passing Bill 167. With
overfishing, plastic waste, chemical runoff, sewage pollution, tourists stepping on
and touching reefs, habitat loss and the climate crisis causing acidification and
bleaching events that are wiping out our reefs, the last thing the organisms of our
coastal community need is to be needlessly subjected to chemical sunscreen
products.
As a surfer, I stay out in the ocean for 3-5 hours, subjecting myself to the the
harshest of conditions, riding big waves on the North Shore. Believe me, I need
a powerful and effective sunscreen and I have it. There are many mineral based
sunscreens now that last for hours in the ocean, 50 SPF, non greasy, rub right
into the skin so you can't see it AND 100% reef safe with no harmful
chemicals. There's simply no excuse for anyone in Hawaii to not be using reef
safe sunscreen.
Anyone can easily access these products online, and business owners can and
should demand that their vendors supply them with reef safe mineral based
sunscreens. The only reason anyone would object to a total ban on these toxic
chemicals is because they're either too lazy to change, or they're too frightened to
change. That's why we need legislation, because those people need to be
prodded along to do the right thing, and believe me, ending deadly reef killing
chemical sunscreens is the right thing.
On behalf of our friends and neighbor organisms that live in our oceans, ._,� ,LIPI®
THANK YOU for taking the time to listen and for passing Bill 167. Comm.
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Fight with aloha,
Topher
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