From surfers to beachgoers, many people use sunscreen to protect their skin, but now a proposed California State bill aims to protect ocean life from chemicals often found in sunscreen.
“I use a Neutrogena, like, stick and yeah, it seems to work well,” said Jared Partridge, San Luis Obispo resident.
“I have a face sunscreen that I bought in San Diego and the brand is Dune and it is an ocean-friendly face sunscreen,” said Lydia Heberling, San Luis Obispo resident.
Not all sunscreen is ocean safe. UV chemicals like homosalate, octinoxate and oxybenzone can harm marine life.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that those chemicals can accumulate in tissue, induce bleaching, damage DNA, and deform or even kill coral reefs.
“It really came out of the importance of the ocean economy on the Central Coast. We have the richest biodiversity across the entire district that I represent," said State Assemblymember Dawn Addis, who introduced the bill.
If passed, AB1744 would make it illegal to present advertising or label sunscreens as "ocean safe" if they don’t meet the full requirements.
“People from across the Central Coast really do want to be buying products that they know are safe for our reefs and our oceans, and so the bill creates transparency around reef-safe advertising,” Assemblymember Addis said.
“I think it’s a great idea," Heberling said. "I think being mindful of what kinds of substances go into the ocean, especially now that this is a protected marine sanctuary, is really important.”
“I mean, it depends on how many options there are for ocean-safe sunscreen, the cost of it. I mean, I’m definitely open to it," Partridge said.
The bill is currently awaiting referral to its first policy committee.
