The proposal to establish outdoor lighting standards was introduced in 2000 and has stalled repeatedly, with concerns focusing on low-pressure sodium light fixtures, which are gentler on the environment but make it hard for people to see colors. A revised version of the standards would allow normal lighting at intersections and add up to 10 percent white light to the sodium light fixtures, to improve color perception. The council’s Public Works Committee will meet at 9 a.m. Monday in the eighth-floor Council Chambers of the Kalana O Maui Building.
Mike Maberry of the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, who has been active in pushing for light regulations, said bright lights are continuing to pollute the night sky.
“It’s, of course, getting worse every day,” he said. “Every single new house that goes in, every business, every streetlight, it gets worse.”
The committee held a site inspection in Kihei this week to view the low-pressure sodium fixtures, which are in use at the Maui Economic Development Board office building.
“It was a good opportunity to have everybody take a look at it,” said committee Chairman Joe Pontanilla.
Light pollution makes it hard for telescopes to get a clear view of the stars.
It also affects native wildlife, which uses starlight for navigation. Hatching baby sea turtles confused by man-made lights can crawl away from the ocean and into busy streets or parking lots; birds headed out to sea can become disoriented and crash into buildings.
The low-pressure sodium lights have a yellow hue that doesn’t have the same effects on astronomy or wildlife. They have been in use on the Big Island for more than 20 years.
Still, requiring environmentally friendly light fixtures has been the biggest issue for hotel officials and police, who have said the lights are ugly, and feared they could be a safety concern because the poor color rendition could make it difficult for witnesses to identify suspects. Maui police Capt. Milton Matsuoka said the department is also concerned about how the standards could affect the total amount of light.
“If there is a reduction in the amount of light, I would think that’s a safety issue as far as driving conditions and with the perception of the public that it’s darker,” he said.
In addition to the low-pressure sodium requirements, the rules would require bright outdoor lights to be shielded downward, to reduce glare, and impose other restrictions. The county would have 10 years to convert streetlights.
Maberry argued that light pollution also affected the quality of life for humans.
“There are people who come here every year who have never seen the Milky Way because the light pollution in their cities is so bad,” he said. “From a tourism point of view, it’s as important to protect our night sky as it is to keep our beaches and our oceans clean.”
Ilima Loomis can be reached at iloomis@mauinews.com.