STAND. COM. REP. NO. 353

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 516
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Labor and Environment and Water, Land,
and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 516
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
     STATEMENTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the preparation of
an environmental assessment for any land use actions that are
subject to state or county permits.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the
Office of Environmental Quality Control, the Office of Hawaiian
Affairs, the Environmental Center, Common Cause Hawaii, Hawaii's
Thousand Friends, and the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter.  Testimony
in opposition to the measure was received from the Department of
Water of the County of Kauai, the Department of Planning and
Permitting, City and County of Honolulu, the Hawaii Agriculture
Research Center, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaiian
Electric Company, Sprint PCS, and the Kamehameha Schools Bishop
Estate.

     Your Committees find that this measure attempts to close a
loophole in the environmental review laws that allow land use
actions which may have significant adverse environmental effects
to escape the environmental review process under chapter 343,
Hawaii Revised Statutes.  Members of your Committees expressed
concern that this measure places a burden on citizens and

 
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businesses that apply for a permit for a land use action that has
minimal or no effect on the environment.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by clarifying that
land uses that have minimal or no significant effect are exempted
from the requirements of this measure as provided for by rules of
the Environmental Council under section 343-6(a)(7), Hawaii
Revised Statutes.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Labor and Environment and Water, Land, and Hawaiian
Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in
accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 516, as amended
herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form
attached hereto as S.B. No. 516, S.D. 1, and be referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Labor and
                                   Environment and Water, Land,
                                   and Hawaiian Affairs,



____________________________       ______________________________
COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair            BOB NAKATA, Chair

 
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