HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0107.135 2016-2018 Murashige, Laura
From: Rob Brower <rob@browerhomes.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2017 9:33 PM COUNTY CLERK
To: Council Testimony COUTJ RECEIVED Y OFHAWAI I
Subject: support for Bill 13 Time eBy
Date 3. 22, 7-a/7
Dear Big Island Council Members:
I am the legislative liaison with the state and other neighbor island chapters for Surfrider Foundation Kauai.
We have been implementing public education and meeting with our own council members regarding banning
polystyrene food containers here on Kauai
We were the first county to ban plastic bags, but our administration and council at this time are tepid about
initiating a statutory ban on styrofoam. We congratulate you on your forward thinking and know that eventually
governmental thinking on Kauai will come around.
Here are some common sense reasons to implement this ban now:
1. EPS foam is a toxic form of plastic made from non-renewable fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals like
styrene that leach out over time, especially in contact with hot, greasy or acidic food.
2. According to the National Institutes of Health(NIH), styrene is a dangerous carcinogen and neurotoxin that
can lead to cancer, lymphoma and leukemia. The EPA says 100% of humans have styrene in their fat tissues.
3. Because EPS foam food service products are more than 90% air,they break apart easily and are often blown
into our coastal areas and out to sea,where they are listed as one of the top 10 items collected at beach
cleanups.
4. EPS foam never biodegrades but only breaks into smaller micro-plastics. These pieces act like sponges for
toxic chemicals in the ocean and are consumed by marine creatures who mistake them for food. More than 180
marine species are known to eat plastics, including endangered species like sea turtles and albatross.
5. Hawaii has one of the highest per capita rates of take-out food in the country, and many food containers are
made of EPS foam products whose toxic chemicals threaten the health of humans and the environment.
6. Most of these products are hauled to our overflowing landfills where they never degrade but begin to leach
toxic chemicals like styrene, a known carcinogen.
7. If we want to implement food composting as part of our solid waste program, used restaurant and take out
food must be thrown away in compostable containers or it has to be disposed of in the land fill, where the food
will become methane gas.
When we consider these reasons and also the point of view that many tourists who come to Hawaii expect
follow through on what they perceive as a green destination, this bill makes total sense.
Mahalo 101,1P)C
Robert Brower
on behalf of Surfrider Foundation Kauai Ref. To:
1 Ref. Loa t7rAlrir"Tr—