‘We Have One Reef’: Key West Bans Popular Sunscreens To Help Keep Coral Alive. According to The Washington Post, “Soon, beachgoers won’t be able to buy certain top-selling sunscreens along parts of the Florida Keys. The Key West City Commission voted Tuesday night to ban sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, two chemicals that have been shown to be damaging to coral reefs. Beginning in January 2021, Key West will ban such sunscreens from sale within city limits — taking a cue from Hawaii, which became the first state to pass a similar ban. ‘To me, this is a pretty black-and-white issue,’ Key West Mayor Teri Johnston said ahead of the vote. ‘There are thousands of sunscreens out there, and we have one reef,’ she added. ‘And we have an opportunity to do one small thing to protect that. I believe it’s our obligation.’ Though sunscreen brands such as Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sell some products without oxybenzone and octinoxate, there are still many containing those chemicals on drugstore shelves. Flexible tech solutions can prepare your business for nearly any challenge, but first you need a game plan. For years, oxybenzone and octinoxate have been used to protect people’s skin from UV radiation, but some research has shown that skin care products containing these chemicals can wash away from the skin while swimming or bathing and seep into the water, causing damage to coral reefs.” [The Washington Post, 2/6/19 (+)]

 

Key West Bans Sunscreen Containing Chemicals Believed To Harm Coral Reefs. According to The New York Times, “Key West, the sunny city at the southernmost tip of Florida, voted this week to ban the sale of sunscreen containing chemicals believed to harm coral reefs. The law’s supporters see it as a crucial step toward protecting the great treasure of the Florida Keys: the world’s third-largest barrier reef ecosystem, which runs nearly 150 miles, hosts thousands of species of marine life, and attracts divers and snorkelers from around the globe. The measure, which the City Commission approved Tuesday in a 6-to-1 vote, will ban sales of sunscreens containing the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate. The legislation will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021. ‘Our coral has been under attack by a number of stressors,’ Mayor Teri Johnston said. ‘We just thought if there was one thing we could do, to take one of the stressors away, it was our responsibility to do so.’ Over the last year, the state of Hawaii and the Western Pacific nation of Palau have also restricted sunscreen sales to protect the otherworldly coral reefs. (Parts of Mexico also ban non-biodegradable sunscreen.) Hawaii’s law bans the same chemicals as Key West’s, and takes effect on the same date. In Palau, 10 chemicals are prohibited, a list that could grow.” [The New York Times, 2/7/19 (=)]

 

Key West Bans Sale Of Sunscreens That Harm Coral Reefs. According to E&E News, “City officials in Key West voted to ban sunscreens containing two ingredients that scientists have said are harmful to the coral reef ecosystem. In a 6-1 vote yesterday, the Key West City Commission banned the sale of sunscreens using oxybenzone and octinoxate beginning Jan. 1, 2021. Mayor Teri Johnston said it’s the commission’s ‘obligation’ to protect the reef, which is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental U.S. Researchers say the chemicals lead to bleaching, DNA damage and death of the corals. The vote followed an hour of public comment, with almost every speaker supporting the ban. Commissioner Greg Davila dissented, saying residents should have the choice of sunscreens they want to use. Last year, Hawaii banned sale and distribution of similar sunscreens beginning in 2021.” [E&E News, 2/6/19 (=)]

 

Florida Considers Banning Sunscreens That Could Hurt The Environment. According to WTSP, “On the heels of the Key West ban on certain environmentally-harmful sunscreens, a statewide bill to stop some chemicals from hurting the environment has also been filed. Related: Key West votes to ban sunscreens that could damage coral reefs The Florida Senate is considering SB 708, which would prohibit the sale, offer for sale, or distribution of certain sunscreen products to consumers without a prescription. Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, filed the bill, which claims the two chemicals, oxybenzone and octinoxate, have ‘significant harmful impacts on Florida’s marine environment and residing ecosystems’ and could be harmful to coral reefs and the shoreline. The bill says chemicals can ‘increase coral bleaching’ which may cause the coral reefs ‘extreme stress.’ The legislation says the chemicals can disrupt animals’ development and reproductive systems. Animals protected by the Endangered Species Act may be affected by exposure to the chemicals, according to Stewart’s bill. If the bill passes, it would take effect on July 1, 2019.” [WTSP, 2/6/19 (=)]

 

On Tap Today. According to Politico, “The House Natural Resources Committee will keep up its focus with a subcommittee hearing this afternoon on climate change and ocean health. The Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee will hear from several oceans experts, including former EPA Administrator Carol Browner.” [Politico, 2/7/19 (=)]

 

Planned Bill Pushes Private Companies To Clean Marine Debris. According to E&E News, “Taking aim at the growing masses of plastic trash in the oceans, an unlikely Senate duo today promoted a bill that would get the private sector more involved in paying for cleanup. Appearing together at an oceans forum on Capitol Hill, Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said their coming legislation — ‘Save Our Seas Act 2.0’ — would build on last year’s version of the bill, which President Trump signed in October. The 2018 bill, S. 3508, reauthorized the Marine Debris Act and extended NOAA’s Marine Debris Program through fiscal 2022. The legislation passed both the House and Senate by unanimous votes. Many environmentalists, businesses and scientists agree the ocean trash problem has reached a crisis point. Experts say if current trends aren’t reversed, the oceans will hold more plastic than fish by 2050. Sullivan said the new version of the bill will try to create more public-private partnerships to clean up the waste, while the first version mainly focused on government efforts. The senators are still ‘putting the final touches,’ Sullivan said. It could include language establishing a marine debris foundation and a marine debris response fund, modeled after the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, he said. Another possibility, Sullivan said, will be creating a federal prize for innovation in waste management in an attempt to get scientists involved in finding new technologies.” [E&E News, 2/6/19 (=)]

 

Local Lawmaker Pushing Resolution Against Seismic Testing In Georgia. According to WSAV, “A local state lawmaker is making some waves when it comes to seismic testing and offshore oil drilling. ‘We’re just trying to make an opportunity for Georgians to stand with Georgia’s coast and protect us against offshore drilling,’ says Representative Carl Gilliard who is a Democrat from Garden City. Gilliard and Representative Don Hogan, a Republican from Brunswick are joining forces to push a resolution that would basically outlaw seismic testing up to three miles from the coast. Wednesday, Gilliard, Hogan and a list of other coastal lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle joined forces at the Georgia Statehouse. They held a news conference to announce the resolution. But before that Gilliard said they had invited a number of lawmakers and representatives from the governor’s office for a luncheon featuring coastal seafood. Gilliard said the point was to bring home the message of what we have now in terms of the fishing and tourism industry and what might be lost due to seismic testing, oil drilling and or an oil spill. ‘We want to stand against offshore drilling because of the economic support that we have for the many jobs it creates,’ Gilliard told a group of reporters and supporters at the Statehouse. In terms of the resolution, Gilliard said ‘it will be a safeguard because we have 1.1 Billion of Georiga’s gross domestic product that will be covered and protected. We have over 21,000 jobs.’” [WSAV, 2/6/19 (=)]

 

 

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