Much of the inner reef at Oahu’s Hanauma Bay is dead after decades of tourism. The state may sign a law banning over-the-counter sunscreens believed to harm coral.
Caleb Jones/AP
By Vanessa Romo | NPR.org
Hawaii lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday that would prohibit the sale of over-the-counter sunscreens containing chemicals they say are contributing to the destruction of the state’s coral reefs and other ocean life.
If signed by Gov. David Ige, it will make Hawaii the first state in the country to pass such a law and will take effect on Jan. 1, 2021.
“Amazingly, this is a first-in-the-world law,” state Sen. Mike Gabbard, who introduced the bill, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “So, Hawaii is definitely on the cutting edge by banning these dangerous chemicals in sunscreens.”