HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0107.147 2016-2018 Murashige, Laura
From: Heather Lyman <heddalyman@gmail.com> COUNTY CLERK
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 1:18 PM COUNTY OF HAWAI'I
To: Council Testimony RECEIVED
Cc: Jay Lyman Time b2:069P/4 By
Subject: Bill #13 Date Ohl 17
Aloha,
As property owners and residents of Hilo, we are writing in full support of Bill#13 to ban polystyrene on
Hawai'i island.
We personally do not believe there should be any exemptions for polystyrene. We have the resources and
ingenuity to offer our greatgrandchildren better. Does malama aina mean nothing? The ethical costs of
using polystyrene are so staggering, it's difficult to see any financial reward for using the product.
Zero percent of foam is recycled locally and foam is composed of over 90% air. So even when
properly disposed of, these products easily fly out of trash bins and dumpsters where they enter into
the natural environment, eventually polluting our ocean and threatening marine wildlife.
Hawaii State Department of Transportation has produced a trash plan that shows styrofoam and
plastic bags as the top two contributors to the waste stream. Is there no correlation to Hawaii
County's waste challenges?
For each ton of polystyrene not produced, 2.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions are avoided. This directly
supports Hawaii's greenhouse gas reduction goals as stated in the Aloha+ Challenge and as mandated by the
US EPA.
Furthermore, fiber containers can be produced in Hawaii with raw materials that are grown here,
offering more and sustainable jobs -- not the kind of jobs that are exposing workers directly to large
amounts of toxic chemicals, causing collateral expenses in our health system.
We ask you to please reflect on how this polystyrene ban will lead our island into a more sustainable
future, a future where our greatgrandchildren can be proud of the choices their greatgrandparents
made today.
Mahalo a nui for your time and consideration,
Heather&Jay Lyman
Comm. No.
tD1iN1
1 def. To: �sD1/�'
Ref. Date MAR 0