STAND. COM. REP. NO.2862

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2731

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, Energy and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2731, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE REVENUE BONDS FOR CENTRAL OAHU RECYCLING AND DISPOSAL FACILITY, INC.,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize issuance of $25,000,000 in special purpose revenue bonds to assist Central Oahu Recycling and Disposal Facility, Inc., in acquiring land for, and planning, designing, and constructing a private solid waste recycling and disposal facility on the island of Oahu.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from Central Oahu Recycling and Disposal Facility, Inc., Eco-Feed, Inc., The Norfolk Group, Inc., and one individual. The Department of Health and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply testified in opposition.

Your Committee has heard that currently only about thirty per cent of Oahu's solid waste is being recycled, short of the fifty per cent goal the State had hoped to reach by 2000. The facility proposed in this bill would greatly expand recycling by commercial entities, as the Central Oahu Recycling and Disposal Facility, Inc., is designed to recycle eighty per cent of the solid waste it would receive.

Your Committee has also heard concerns raised by both the State and the City and County of Honolulu regarding the siting of this facility over the Pearl Harbor aquifer. Your Committee agrees this will be a critical factor in both the design and the permitting of the facility, and Central Oahu Recycling and Disposal Facility, Inc., has indicated they will be working with state and county government to resolve this and any related issues.

Your Committee considered a concern raised by the Department of the Attorney General as to whether the project meets the requirements for a "processing enterprise" and a related amendment proposed by the State's general advice counsel for public finance matters. However, your Committee notes that the proposed amendment has already been incorporated in the current House draft of the bill.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2731, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Energy and Environment,

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair