STAND. COM. REP. NO.  560-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2648

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2648 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD WASTE DISPOSAL,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to reduce waste in Hawaii by:

 

     (1)  Establishing a phased reduction of food waste into county solid waste streams for commercial and business entities;

 

     (2)  Establishing the Solid Waste Infrastructure Advisory Committee; and

 

     (3)  Appropriating funds for the counties to comply with food waste reduction mandates.

 

     The Surfrider Foundation, Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter, Zero Waste Kauai, Styrophobia Hawaii, and numerous concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Health and Hawaii Food Industry Association submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the phased reduction of food waste into county solid waste streams for commercial and business entities;

     (2)  Adding a codified zero-food-waste goal whereby commercial and business entities generating over one ton of commercial food waste annually must reduce this waste to zero by January 1, 2025;

 

     (3)  Requiring the Department of Health to adopt rules by January 1, 2019, to achieve the zero-food-waste goal;

 

     (4)  Adding representatives of the food industry and the community to the Solid Waste Infrastructure Advisory Committee;

 

     (5)  Requiring the Solid Waste Infrastructure Advisory Committee to submit its legislative report no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2017;

 

     (6)  Dissolving the Solid Waste Infrastructure Advisory Committee on January 1, 2025; and

 

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     Your Committee notes that should your Committee on Finance choose to consider this measure, the suggested total appropriation amount is $50,000.

 

     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. 2648, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2648, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair