STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1163

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1663
                                        H.D. 2
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Education
and Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 1663, H.D. 2,
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of
Education (DOE) to identify, investigate, and report to the
Department of Health (DOH) any suspicious increase or significant
clusters of disease or illness suspected to be related to
environmental contamination.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this
measure from DOH and DOE.

     Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended
this measure by deleting its contents and inserting S.B.
No. 1577, S.D. 1, to which your Committee has added the West Loch
Fairways community and has deleted water testing.  In addition,
your Committee has provided an appropriation to the DOH out of
the environmental response revolving fund instead of the general
fund to test the soil in Village Park and West Loch Fairways
communities to determine if physical and learning disabilities of
children are caused by contaminated soil from pesticides.

     Your Committees find that there is cogent and persuasive
evidence that is more than coincidental to indicate the presence

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1163
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of an environmental hazard at Village Park in Kunia on Oahu.  The
soil at Kunia and West Loch Fairways communities could be
contaminated with toxins that are having a profound effect on
Kunia's children, who exhibit grossly disproportionate incidences
of physical and learning disabilities.  Adults have also
experienced unusual health problems including excessive hair
loss, development of tumors, and face and body rashes.  Your
Committees believe that testing should be immediately conducted
to determine if the soil at Village Park and West Loch Fairways
are the cause of these disabilities.  Because Kunia was once
prime agricultural land, your Committees feel that the soil may
be contaminated with pesticide residues that have accumulated
over decades.

     Your Committees request the DOH to plan and conduct the soil
testing after consultation between the DOH and appropriate
community organizations and representatives of Village Park.
Your Committees further request the DOH to continue to work with
Village Park residents after the testing for any follow-up plans.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Health and Human Services and Education and
Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are
in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1663, H.D. 2,
as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in
the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1663, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Health and Human
                                   Services and Education and
                                   Technology,



____________________________       ______________________________
DAVID Y. IGE, Chair                SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair



 
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