STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1751

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.C.R. No. 140

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 140 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO DEVELOP, ADOPT, AND ISSUE A GUIDANCE DOCUMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POLICY APPLICABLE TO ALL LEVELS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Health to develop, adopt, and issue a guidance document on environmental justice policy applicable to all levels of the environmental review process under Chapter 343, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs testified in support of the measure. The Department of Health, the Office of Environmental Quality Control, and the University of Hawaii Environmental Center offered comments on the measure.

Your Committee finds that the importance of this issue justifies a detailed review of the environmental review process under Chapter 343, Hawaii Revised Statutes. Your Committee also finds the wide-reaching impacts of the environmental review process justify the inclusion of a number of interested parties in the development of an environmental justice document. Your Committee further finds that the Environmental Council, with the assistance of the Office of Environmental Quality Control and the University of Hawaii Environmental Center, is best suited for this task.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the title of this measure to read:

"REQUESTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY CONTROL AND THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER, TO DEVELOP AND PROMULGATE A GUIDANCE DOCUMENT ON INCLUDING PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN ALL PHASES OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW UNDERTAKEN PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 343, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES";

(2) Deleting the entire contents of this measure and replacing it with the contents of H.C.R. No. 271, H.D. 1, after making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, style, and consistency, requesting:

(A) The Environmental Council, with the assistance of the Office of Environmental Quality Control and the University of Hawaii Environmental Center, to develop and promulgate a guidance document on including principles of environmental justice in all phases of environmental review undertaken pursuant to Chapter 343, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(B) The Environmental Council to involve a wide segment of interested parties in the development of the guidance document; and

(C) The Environmental Council to submit findings, comments, and recommendations for legislation on any need to update the State's environmental impact statement process no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2006.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 140, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 140, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

 

____________________________

HERMINA MORITA, Chair