For immediate release: November 9, 2017
Press release by:
Councilmember Elle Cochran, Chair
Infrastructure and Environmental Management Committee
WAILUKU, Hawaii – The Maui County Council’s Infrastructure and Environmental Management Committee will receive presentations from two toxicologists about the effects of oxybenzone and octinoxate on Maui’s coral reefs and marine life at its Nov. 13 meeting, Committee Chair Elle Cochran announced today. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber.
The Committee will hear from Dr. Craig A. Downs, Ph.D., executive Director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory in Virginia, a non-profit scientific organization dedicated to conservation and restoration efforts of threatened environmental habitats. Joe DiNardo, MS, a retired research scientist and toxicologist, will also present.
Both presenters have expertise relating to oxybenzone, octinoxate, and other chemicals found in commonly used sunscreens, and their effects on the marine environment.
The Committee is considering proposed legislation that would ban the use and the sale of sunscreen and personal care products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate in Maui County.
The meeting is open to the public. All interested residents are encouraged to attend or submit testimony. Written testimony may be emailed to iem.committee@mauicounty.us, referencing IEM-45.
For more information on this issue, please visit mauicounty.us.
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