HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0064.222 2010-2012 Page 1 of 1
PICAMANCLL
Murashige, Laura
From: Megan Lamson [kahakai.cleanups @gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 10:51 AM
To: counciltestimony @ co.hawaii.hi.us; Councilmember Brittany Smart; dyagong @co.hawaii.hi.us;
dikeda @co.hawaii.hi.us;jyoshimoto @co.hawaii.hi.us; fblas @co.hawaii.hi.us;
bsmart@co.hawaii.hi.us; donishi @co.hawaii.hi.us; bford @co.hawaii.hi.us;
apilago @co.hawaii.hi.us; phoffmann @co.hawaii.hi.us
Cc: Bill Gilmartin; Surfrider Hilo; Henry"Hank" Carson; Julia Neal
Subject: Comments re Bag Reduction Bill 17, draft 2
Attachments: Bag Ban Bill 17, draft 2 comments 11.9.11.pdf
Aloha mai kakou,
E kalamai ia'u that this is too late for yesterday's public comment meeting regarding Bill 17, draft 2.
However, please see attached letter for my comments for consideration before you vote in early
December.
C)
Q
Me ka mahalo, z o
Megan c=:$ --+
Megan R.McWhite Lamson =r�-
HWF Marine Debris Project Coordinator rn
kahakacica nups @gmail.co._.m...... =� y
cell 808.769.7629-fax 877.885.8031 tos N —
Please consider the planet before printing this email.
Comm. 49 . 2LZ.
Ref.To: r
Ref. Date
11/16/2011
0,41M4.1L‘15346:.,
, i.
hawai'i Wildlife runcl
Post Office Box 70
Volcano,HI 96785
kahakai.cleanups(i)gmail.com
9 November 2011
Hawai`i County Council
25 Aupuni St, Hilo HI 96720
co uncilte s timo ny @co.hawaii.hi.us
fax: 808/961-9812
Aloha mai kakou,
I am writing you here today to express my wholehearted support for the revised Plastic
Bag Reduction Bill 17, draft 2. Hawai`i Wildlife Fund(HWF) has always supported
these efforts to limit the amount of single-use plastics used in Hawaii nei. Specifically,
HWF has publically supported this Bill 17, and all of its iterations since 2005.
In January 2010, I gave the following speech to the Hawaii County Councilmen at a
public comment session. On this same date, Katie Woolven, a HWF contractor at the
time, dressed up as a "plastic bag monster"to show just how wasteful, on average, we are
with disposable plastic grocery bags each year.
From 1/5/2010 public testimony:
"I am speaking here today as both a concerned Big-Island resident and on behalf of
the non-profit, Hawai`i Wildlife Fund(HWF). Driving here today from Volcano I
noticed 47 plastic bags littering Highway-11 before I even reached town. This is the
worst I have seen it ever, and gives credence to why I stand here before you today.
As I said before, I am also here as the Debris Project Coordinator with Hawai`i
Wildlife Fund. At over 10 beach cleanups, spanning over the past year and a half we
have removed at least 32,000 pounds (or 16 tons) or marine debris from along the
Ka`u shoreline—most of which is plastic in origin.
Together with our four employees and over 340 volunteers, HWF is striving to lessen
the negative effects that marine debris plastics are having on our ocean and its
inhabitants. Some of these impacts include entanglement in derelict fishing nets and
L
ingestion of floating plastic debris by various species of seabird, myriad fish species,
the Hawaiian monk seal, and all types of sea turtles.
We [HWF]feel adamantly that one of the most fundamental ways we can each work
to lessen marine debris in Hawai`i and worldwide, is to reduce the amount of single-
use plastics from our everyday lives.
This Bill 1931-now Bill 17]to reduce Hawai`i County's reliance on disposable plastic
bags is a major step in the right direction. As a Hawai`i-Island resident and on
behalf of HWF, I'd like to say that WE SUPPORT THIS BILL. Many thanks for your
time today. Malama pono. "
In the past 22 months since this testimony was given,we are seeing more and more
plastic bags washed up along our coastlines during our regular beach-cleanup efforts.
For this reason and all that was mentioned before, it is imperative that this Bill 17 is
passed and that we can finally move forward to malama our island home. Mahalo nui loa
for your time and consideration on this important matter. Please do not hesitate to
contact me if you have any additional questions related to this topic.
Me ka mahalo,
voir
Megan R. Lamson
Marine Debris Project Coordinator
kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com
808/217-5777