The Hawaii County public overwhelmingly supports County Bill 167, which would restrict chemicals in sunscreen if passed.
On May 17, Hawaii County's public gave testimony at a hearing in front of the county's Committee on Climate Resilience and Natural Management. The hearing was held to receive testimony in favor and in opposition of County Bill 167, a bill that would regulate sunscreen sales based on their chemical makeup.
"This is a grave concern because it has been reported in the scientific literature that chemicals in sunscreen can have irreversibly detrimental effects on marine life, including changes in fish behavior, damage to coral DNA and larvae, and the health of algae, fish, shellfish, urchins and marine animals" Kahalu'u Bay Education Center Director Cynthia Kennedy wrote in a letter May 17.
Other officials came out in support of the bill as well.
"This piece of legislation is in alignment with the ʻĀina Aloha Economic Futures, which is a resolution that we passed as a body in the last term," Council Chair Rebecca Villegas told Hawaii Public Radio. "It's in complete alignment with protecting our cultural and environmental and our coral reef ecosystems as an economic resource."
According to Hawaii Public Radio, the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate are banned in sunscreen sold in the state of Hawaii since 2021. These chemicals are harmful to coral reefs by creating a condition called coral bleaching. County Bill 167 would take restrictions a step further, banning sales of all sunscreens besides those that use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as active ingredients.
County Bill 167 has overwhelming support from the Hawaii County public. The Hawaii County Committee on Climate Resilience and Natural Management fielded 213 testimonies in support of the bill and two testimonies in opposition. County Bill 167 mimics a bill passed in Maui in 2021 that regulates the sale of non-mineral sunscreens.
The bill allows for non-mineral sunscreens to be sold only as a prescription beginning in October. Should the bill pass on the Big Island, non-mineral sunscreens sales would be regulated starting on Dec. 1. A violation of the bill will result in a $1,000 fine per incident. All fines will be sent to the county's fund for solid waste.