2017-02-15 Letter to Justin Woodson re HB 427

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h tP�' .? . .'. Wil Okabe " Managing Director• Harry Kim : .•��"�-).,�� . Mayor Barbara.1.Kossow •„, ea.'• Deputy Managing Director •0•'M• • (flaunty of httfuzzz`'z (Mu of flit Augur 25 Aupuni Street,Suite 2603 • Hilo,Hawaii 96720 • (808)961-8211 • Fax(808)961-6553 KONA' 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy,Bldg C • Kailua-Kona,Hawaii 96740 (808)323-4444 • Fax(808)323-4440 February 15, 2017 Representative Justin Woodson Higher Education Hawai'i State Capitol Honolulu, HI 96813 Dear Chair Woodson and members: RE: HB 427 Thank you for this opportunity to comment on HB 427. Hawaii County has worked to transition 11,000 County and State street lamps to LED which results in reduced light pollution and 50% reduction ($1 million annually) in operating energy costs. Our Department of Research and Development, in partnership with the Department of Public Works Traffic Division, the Department's Energy Program, the Institute for Astronomy, Hawai'i Wildlife Center, and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, is promoting friendly night skies through its Dark Sky initiative. This initiative is the outcome of the successful LED streetlight replacement project that installed fully shielded LED lamps with custom designed blue spectrum filters. Research has shown that nighttime illumination interferes with migratory bird and nesting turtle activity, in addition to interfering with sleep cycles in humans. The replacement of energy wasting incandescent fixtures with light emitting diodes (LED) saves energy, but the blue light spectrum from most LED fixtures is particularly harmful to the health of wildlife and humans, in addition to interfering with astronomy, star- gazing activities, and encroaching on wilderness areas. So the Dark Sky initiative works to encourage the use of appropriate lighting for the benefit of all. R pectfully submitted, iL2 Harry2irri-J Mayor County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer