STAND. COM. REP. NO. 54

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1247

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1247 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AIR POLLUTION CONTROL,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to prohibit the Department of Health from issuing permits, after December 31, 2008, to any new facilities that burn or consume coal, or to any existing coal burning facilities intending to expand or modify, which would result in an increase of coal consumption. 

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Life of the Land; Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning, LLC; the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter; Respiratory and Environmental Disabilities Association of Hawaii; and nine individuals.  The Department of Health; Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.; Gay & Robinson, Inc.; and ILWU Local 142 submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that the burning of coal as a source of energy is not part of a clean and sustainable energy future for the State and negatively affects the State's air quality.  The intent of this measure is to decrease coal consumption within the State by prohibiting the Department of Health from issuing permits for new covered sources and for modified existing sources that would increase coal consumption.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the compliance date to December 31, 2009, to take into account the concerns raised by the Department of Health that the deadline of December 31, 2008, was too short.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1247, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1247, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair