STAND. COM. REP. NO.  389-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2182

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2182 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Make permanent the Carbon Farming Task Force established by Act 33, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, and rename it the Carbon Sequestration Task Force;

 

     (2)  Align the State's clean energy and carbon sequestration efforts with climate initiative goals and require that a member of the Carbon Sequestration Task Force also be a member of the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; and

 

     (3)  Expand the mission of the Carbon Sequestration Task Force by requiring that the Task Force examine opportunities to exploit carbon sequestering trees and vegetation to reduce urban temperatures and thereby protect public health.

 

     The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Distributed Energy Resources Council of Hawaii, Sierra Club of Hawaii, Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter, Cuddle Party, Life of the Land, and a few individuals supported this measure.  The Office of Planning provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the Carbon Sequestration Task Force's name to Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force;

 

     (2)  Including in the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force's duties that it shall identify agroforestry policies to promote increased greenhouse gas sequestration, build healthy soils, and provide greenhouse gas benefits;

 

     (3)  Amending the membership of the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force to include the Director of the Environmental Law Program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law, rather than the Director of the Center for Island Climate Adaptation and Policy at the University of Hawaii at Manoa;

 

     (4)  Establishing a zero greenhouse gas emissions target to sequester more atmospheric carbon and greenhouse gases emitted within the State as quickly as practicable, but no later than 2045, and require all agency plans, decisions, and strategies to give consideration to the impact of those plans, decisions, and strategies on the State's ability to achieve the zero greenhouse gas emissions target after January 1, 2020;

 

     (5)  Amending Act 32, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, by changing the phrase "the greenhouse gas emissions statewide" to "greenhouse gas emissions";

 

     (6)  Appropriating $150,000 to fund the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force and its related efforts; and

 

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


     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. 2182, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2182, 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