HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0664.087 2014-2016 Pie/4W/
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Murashige, LauraR0%,,„
From: lamson@hawaii.edu on behalf of Megan L m oir meg.H F@gr5a3l.com>
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2016 11:41 AM
To: Poindexter,Valerie;Chung,Aaron; Onishi, Dennis;Ilagan, Greggor; Paleka, Daniel; David,
Maile; Kanuha, Dru; Eoff, Karen;Wille, Margaret; Council Testimony
Subject: I support the EPS foam transition/reduction Bill 140!
Attachments: Carson et al. 2013b.pdf; PUBLISHED_Blickley et_al_2016_Marine Pollution Bulletin.pdf
Aloha Councilmembers,
Mahalo for listening to my testimony in support of Bill 140 during the first hearing. I will not bother
you will the same environmental arguments and reasons to support Bill 140.
However, for this second hearing, I'd like to highlight some key points:
1) Marine debris DOES indeed originate from local sources. Dr. Hank Carson and
colleagues (2013 - see attached) found that 25% of the small wood drifters released from Hawai'i
County were reported. These blocks that were released from Kona, Hilo, Cape Kumukahi and South
Point washed ashore on our island (near and far), and elsewhere in Hawai'i including Maui, Lana'i
and Kaho'olawe! Lauren Blickley and colleagues (2016 - see attached) found that at their 3 research
sites on Maui, 26 - 89% of the debris collected during monthly surveys in 2013-14 were considered
from land-based sources (e.g., food wrappers, cigarette filters, straws).
2) Bill 140 would support the County's 2009 Zero Waste Implementation Plan and their
2007 adoption of the mission to reduce our ecological footprint. Back when the Zero Waste
Implementation Plan was being drafted in 2008, about 8% of the discards on Hawaii Island were
polymers (e.g., all plastics). At that time, the County was managing over 200,000 tons of waste each
year. That's 16,800 tons annually or 33,600,000 pounds of plastics and other polymers! So if we
assume (conservatively) that only i% of this is EPS foam, then this represents 336,000 lbs. of debris
we could avoid bringing onto our island. See http://hawaiizerowaste.org/site-content/uploads/3-14-
o9-Hawaii Zero Waste Plan.doc.pdf for more info.
3) There are already viable alternatives available for all EPS food service products for sale
on island. Anything you can do with foam cups, clamshells, shave ice containers and plates you can
do with alternative products that are already available here on island! Most of the EPS foam
foodservice containers being used today in Hawai'i are being imported from the mainland USA or
China. Moving away from these toxic imports and supporting our local retailers to purchase and
distribute greener, cleaner products is something that will support our island economy, maintain
ourselves as conservation leaders, and spur increased tourism revenue (because no one likes a dirty
beach!). We are not losing our plate lunch or shave ice culture, we are just transiting to a healthier
means to getting the foods we love to our mouths.
Many thanks for your time, consideration, and your steadfast commitment to lead our island towards
a healthier future, and mahalo to Councilwoman Wille for proposing this important initiative. Please
feel free to contact me directly with any questions!
Me ka mahalo, COMM. No.
Megan Ref. To:
g Ref. Date ' 0 2016
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Megan R.McWhite Lamson,M.S.
&HAWAI'I WILDLIFE FUND
http://www.wildhawaii.org/
Hawai'i Island Program Director
@wildhawaii-#wildhawaii
meg.HWF(ahgmail.com
debris hotline 808/769-7629
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