STAND. COM. REP. NO.2129

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2987

 

 

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 S.B. No. 2987 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize issuance of $7,000,000 in general obligation bonds for planning, design, and construction of a landfill at Hilo, Hawaii.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the County of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the South Hilo Landfill is running out of capacity and is scheduled to stop receiving refuse generated in East Hawaii by mid-2004. The County is presently updating its Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWMP), with an emphasis on immediate implementation of proposals relating to the closure of the South Hilo Landfill.

Your Committee further finds that the first priority of the ISWMP will be to replace the South Hilo Landfill with a transfer station, which will operate as a large receiving station with the capability to re-pack refuse in special trailers for transport. This facility must be sited, environmentally assessed, designed, permitted, and constructed in thirty months.

Your Committee is well aware that landfills on all of the Neighbor Islands are at or nearing capacity, and that new landfills have become a statewide issue. Your Committee believes that while this measure will not address all landfill needs, it is an important part of the process.

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 S.B. No. 2987 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