STAND. COM. REP. NO.  136

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   H.B. No. 927

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 927 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ROADWAY MATERIALS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to improve Hawaii's roads, enable more cost-effective recycling of asphalt pavements, and protect Hawaii's environment by allowing, rather than requiring:

 

     (1)  State agencies to purchase roadway materials with a minimum recycled glass content; and

 

     (2)  All highway and road construction projects funded by the State or a county or roadways accepted as public roads to use a minimum of ten percent crushed glass aggregate for all basecourse and subbase applications.

 

     Alakona Corp Asphalt Pavement Specialists, Grace Pacific Corporation, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill.

 

     Current law requires State highway officials to purchase roadway materials with minimum recycled glass content for basecourse, subbase, and nonstructural capital improvement applications.  Commonly known as the "glassphalt mandate," this action was an attempt to make better use of recycled glass and to be more environmentally friendly.  However, the use of "glassphalt" has had negative impacts including reducing the quality of roadways because asphalt does not stick to glass.  Furthermore, because glassphalt cannot be used as a surface paving material since it can reduce the skid resistance of a road and make driving hazardous, asphalt recycling efforts have been impacted.  This is due to the fact that the process of resurfacing and rebuilding roads results in the comingling of asphalt and glassphalt materials, which are often difficult, if not impossible, to separate.  This impairs the paving industry's ability to recycle asphalt pavement, which is one of the most recycled materials in Hawaii.  By allowing, rather than requiring, the use of recycled glass in roadway materials, Hawaii's roadways can be improved while still protecting the environment.

 

     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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 927 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

HERMINA MORITA, Chair