STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3392

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1706

H.D. 3

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1706, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIFORM ENVIRONMENTAL COVENANTS ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide for environmental covenants for contaminated property to ensure long-term compliance with requirements needed to protect the public and environment when complete removal of contaminants is not feasible, practical, or necessary.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, the Commission to Promote Uniform Legislation, and the Land Use Research Foundation. The Department of the Army's Western Regional Environmental Office and Hawaiian Electric Company and its subsidiaries submitted comments on this measure.

Your Committee finds that this measure establishes a process for creating and tracking environmental covenants and provides enforcement authority to assure that owners of contaminated property observe the required management controls placed on the property by the Department of Health.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1706, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair