STAND. COM. REP. 3413

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.C.R. No. 174

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy and Environment and Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 174 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE COUNTIES TO ADDRESS LIGHT POLLUTION ISSUES THROUGH THEIR BUILDING ORDINANCES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the counties to address all light pollution issues through their ordinances.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of the Air Force, Conservation Council for Hawai`i, and an individual. Testimony in opposition to the measure was submitted by City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting. The Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii submitted comments on the measure.

Your Committees find that light pollution is an important issue that has not been sufficiently addressed by our counties. Your Committees agree with the comments submitted by the Department of the Air Force that light pollution issues affecting astronomy and space surveillance activities should also be addressed by the counties.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended the measure by expanding its application to include the impact of light pollution on astronomy and space surveillance sites and deleting references that limited the application of the measure to shoreline light sources and building ordinances only.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environment and Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 174, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 174, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environment and Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations,

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CAL KAWAMOTO, Chair

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J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair