HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

115

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

requesting the counties to address light pollution issues THROUGH their BUILDING ordinances.

 

 

WHEREAS, artificial lighting on the ocean or illuminating the shoreline and nearshore waters can be disruptive to both avian and marine life; and

WHEREAS, such artificial lights have been documented to cause the death of hatching sea turtles, fledgling shearwaters, nocturnal flying sea birds, and migratory birds; and

WHEREAS, laboratory studies have shown that artificial lights can also harm corals that naturally spawn during a full moon by inducing them to spawn artificially during the dark phase of the moon cycle; and

WHEREAS, there are reports by fishers that such artificial illumination affects the behavior of fish; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, the Senate concurring, that the counties are requested to address all shoreline light pollution issues through their building ordinances; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these issues include eliminating or mitigating artificial lights from adjacent buildings affecting the shorelines and nearshore waters that harm sea turtles, Newell's shearwaters, dark-rumped petrels, band-rumped storm petrels, Hawaiian monk seals, or any other marine population threatened or harmed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor and the Chairperson of the Council of each county.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Light Pollution; Cities and Counties; Building Ordinances