WHO: Sen. Will Espero, Rep. Gene Ward, Dr. Craig Downs
WHAT: Media Availability for water sampling for sunscreen toxins
WHERE: Hanauma Bay
Educational Beach Kiosk, beach level
WHEN: Friday, November 17, 2017
4:30 p.m.
Senator Will Espero (S Dist. 19 - ‘Ewa Beach, Ocean Pointe, ‘Ewa by Gentry, Iroquois Point, portion of ‘Ewa Villages) and Representative Gene Ward (H Dist. 17 - Hawai‘i Kai, Kalama Valley) will be joining Dr. Craig Downs, internationally renowned ecotoxicologist and Executive Director of the Haereticus Environmental Laboratory in Virginia, and the Friends of Hanauma Bay to conduct water sampling to measure the level of sunscreen toxins at Hanauma Bay.
Dr. Downs is known for sounding the alarm in Hawai‘i of the damage certain chemicals in sunscreen have on the reefs in Hawai‘i. He supported legislation in 2017 that would have banned the sale of sunscreen containing the ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate. Sampling will take place at 4:30 pm Fri., Nov. 17, 2017 at the Educational Beach Kiosk on the beach level at Hanauma Bay.
The media is invited to witness the sampling at Hanauma Bay and to understand the process and the importance of this scientific study of our reefs and the ocean environment. The work on November 17 and the findings may be used to support legislation to ban sunscreen with certain chemicals during the 2018 Legislative Session.
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