HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

188

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the legislative reference bureau to conduct a literature review of the health effects from long term exposure to hazardous waste materials.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, the mission of the Department of Health is to protect and improve the health and environment for all people in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, one of the goals of the Department of Health is to promote health and well-being; and

 

     WHEREAS, studies have shown that working with hazardous waste materials poses inherent risks to the health and safety of the people who handle them; and

 

     WHEREAS, specifically, there are certain chemical, biological, and accidental hazards associated with handling hazardous waste materials; and

 

     WHEREAS, some of these chemical, biological, and accidental hazards include exposure to known pesticides, bacteria, and carcinogens that may cause cancer if they are not treated properly; exposure to dust, fungi, and endotoxins that may lead to lung cancer among workers exposed to organic dust; and exposure to broken glass and used syringes that may lead to the transfer of bloodborne pathogens such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus; and

 

     WHEREAS, the employees who collect and treat hazardous waste materials on a daily basis could suffer adverse health effects; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the Senate concurring, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to conduct a literature review of the health effects from long term exposure to hazardous waste materials; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in conducting the literature review, the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to review materials related to the appropriate upgrades and improvements that could be made to existing wastewater treatment plants and refuse collection systems to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for current and future employees and the appropriate actions that could be taken to compensate current and past employees who suffer from various health problems as a direct result of long term exposure to hazardous waste materials; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to submit a report of its findings to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2010 Regular Session; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Hazardous Waste Materials; Literature Review