HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0942.062 2006-2008
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Murashige, Laura PFrom: Terry Miura [terry_miura@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 4:23 PM
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Support for Bill 224
TO: HAWAI'I COUNTY COUNCIL
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RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF BILL 224 Z'.
Relating To Smoking In Certain Places In The County Of Hawaii
Committee hearing February 5, 2008
February 4, 2008 C)
My name is Terry Miura, coordinator for Get The Drift & Bag It! (HawaiTs name for our
contribution to the International Coastal Clean-up) for Hawai'i Island, and I strongly support Bill
224, which would prohibit smoking at all Parks and Beaches on the Big Island. As the
coordinator for this annual clean-up, I know that the #1 type of debris found on our beaches
are cigarette butts. If there is a filter on the butt, that filter is made up of a type of plastic
called cellulose acetate. Cigarette butts take any where from 1-5 years to disintegrate. During
last year's clean-up on Sept. 15, 2007, volunteers picked up over 22,557 cigarette butts off the
beaches of the Big Island! That was the total for just ONE DAY. If these volunteers had not
picked them up, imagine what our beautiful shorelines would look like! I personally pick up
litter at Richardson Ocean Park on a regular basis and cigarette butts are everywhere. People
use our beaches as their personal ashtray.
Cigarette filters can contain up to 60 known human carcinogens including arsenic,
formaldehyde, chromium and lead. These chemiclas are capable of leaching into our ocean
waters, posing a threat to our marine animals who may ingest them. Cigarette butts have
been found in the stomachs of sea turtles, fish, birds, whales and other marine animals. Our
keiki playing on the beach pick up cigarette butts as they dig in the sand.
It is for these reasons that I strongly encourage the Council to pass this ordinance. This is a
good bill and it will go a long way in protectiong our precious marine environment for
generations to come. E malama i ke kai!
Please accept this as written testimony in support of this bill.
Sincerely,
Terry Miura
Get the Drift & Bag It! Big Island Coordinator
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Ref. Dote
2/5/2008