STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1207_______

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: S.B. No. 531
                                     S.D. 2
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, to
which was referred S.B. No. 531, S.D. 2, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ROADSIDE HERBICIDE USE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to reduce the use of herbicides
in the maintenance of roadsides by:

     (1)  Requiring state and county agencies responsible for
          roadside vegetation maintenance to develop and
          implement an integrated vegetation management program;
          and

     (2)  Establishing a Roadside Vegetation Committee to, among
          other things, review roadside vegetation management
          practices and strategies.

     The Department of Transportation (DOT), the Sierra Club,
Hawaii Chapter, and the Advocacy Offices of David L. Bourgoin
testified in support of this measure.  The University of Hawaii
Environmental Center supported the intent of this bill, and
RESCUE Hawaii supported this measure with amendments.  An
individual offered comments, and Life of the Land expressed
concerns.


 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1207_______
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring the DOT, instead of all state and county
          agencies, to adopt an integrated vegetation management
          program, and authorizing appropriate county agencies to
          do the same;

     (2)  Deleting provisions that specify the different methods
          of roadside maintenance that the program should
          utilize;

     (3)  Simplifying the definition of "integrated vegetation
          management" and deleting the definition of "nonchemical
          methods";

     (4)  Renaming the Roadside Vegetation Committee as the
          Roadside Integrated Vegetation Management Committee
          (Committee) and clarifying its duties;

     (5)  Deleting a DOT representative as a required member of
          the Committee;

     (6)  Simplifying the organizational requirements of the
          Committee and naming the Highways Administrator as the
          chairperson of the Committee rather than having the
          members elect that individual; and

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the
          purpose of consistency.

     Your Committee believes these amendments offer a basic and,
therefore, very workable structure that will enhance the
development of sound roadside vegetation management practices in
this State.

     Finally, the 1993 report of the Roadside Spraying Task Force
entitled: "Report to the Legislature on H.C.R. No. 254, H.D. 1,
S.D. 1" contains useful information on herbicide spraying.
Therefore, your Committee encourages the members of the Committee
to be established under this bill to carefully evaluate this
report as part of their duties.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection that is attached
to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of S.B. No. 531, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached
hereto as S.B. No. 531, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the
Committee on Transportation.

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1207_______
                                 Page 3

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   HERMINA M. MORITA, Chair