HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0107.122 2016-2018► COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAI'I
RECEIVED
Time 0; B,y
Date `' 017
Murashige, Laura
From: Tlaloc Tokuda <tlaloctt@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2017 12:08 PM
To: Council Testimony; Chung,Aaron; Kanuha, Dru; Ohara, Eileen; Ruggles,Jennifer; Eoff,
Karen; David, Maile; Lee Loy, Sue; Poindexter,Valerie; Richards,Tim
Subject: Ban Polystyrene in Hawaii County!
Aloha All,
State Senator Russell Ruderman is also the owner of Island Natural who did the right thing over 15 years ago and stopped
using polystyrene. He states in his submission: "Some say it will drive up the price of food. This is just as false as the
statements in years passed about plastic bags. While the cost of some safer alternative products is higher, that is not true for
all the options. Even for the most elegant and costly alternatives, this is a negligible increase. Testimony has been offered to
this council last year, and I assume again this year, that retailers must increase prices if we pass this. It is not true. While the
cost of a container may be 5-10 cents more, this is still only a small percentage of the price of the meal. Even if the full increase
were passed along to customers, the increase would be about 10 cents, or 1 -2%".
Health concers first emerged by 1986,styrene was found in 100 percent of all samples of human fat tissue taken as part of a
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)Human Tissue Survey. Researchers found that Styrofoam cups lose weight when in
use, meaning that styrene is oozing into the foods and drinks we consume. It then ends up stored in our fatty tissue, where it
can build up to levels that can cause fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, blood abnormalities, and even carcinogenic
effects.
The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. Long-term exposure to small quantities of
styrene is also suspected of causing:
—low platelet counts or hemoglobin values;
—chromosomal and lymphatic abnormalities;
—neurotoxic effects due to accumulation of styrene in the tissues of the brain,spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, resulting in
fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, and other acute or chronic health problems associated with the nervous system.
Because many of these effects can be more pronounced on developing bodies,extra caution is advisable for women who are
pregnant(or considering becoming so)and for prepubescent children.
So please do the right thing and ban polystyrene.
Mahalo,
Tlaloc Tokuda
96740 HI
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