STAND. COM. REP. NO. 988-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 2145

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2145, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote the coordination of the State's environmental justice activities and require a comprehensive review of the State's existing environmental impact statement process.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Provides funding to the Environmental Council to hire a program director to coordinate the State's environmental justice activities, including defining "environmental justice", adopting a guidance document to address environmental justice, making recommendations to update the environmental impact statement process, and conducting outreach activities; and

(2) Provides funding to be expended by the Department of Health to enable it to contract with the University of Hawaii Environmental Center to perform a comprehensive review of the environmental impact statement process.

The Office of Environmental Quality Control, the Conservation Council for Hawaii, and two concerned citizens submitted testimony in support of this measure. The University of Hawaii Environmental Center offered comments.

Your Committee notes that it has been fifteen years since a comprehensive review of the State's environmental impact statement process was last conducted. In these fifteen years, numerous changes have occurred in the theory and practical application of environmental management.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Environmental Council shall contract with a consultant rather than hire a program director to facilitate and coordinate the State's environmental justice activities;

(2) Requiring the University of Hawaii Environmental Center to submit its comprehensive review to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2008 Regular Session;

(3) Clarifying that the funds appropriated by this measure for a comprehensive review of the environmental impact statement process shall be expended by the Department of Health to enable it to contract with the University of Hawaii Environmental Center for this purpose; and

(4) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity 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 S.B. No. 2145, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2145, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

 

____________________________

HERMINA MORITA, Chair