Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2908, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to assist Central Oahu Recycling and Disposal Facility, Inc., in acquiring land, planning, designing, and constructing a private solid waste processing, recycling, and disposal facility on Oahu through the issuance of special purpose revenue bonds.

Central Oahu Recycling and Disposal, Inc., Norfolk Group, Inc., Eco-Feed, Inc., and URS Corporation testified in support of this measure. The Department of Health and Board of Water Supply commented on this measure.

In 2000, more than 1,500,000 tons of solid waste was generated on Oahu. Almost half of this waste, 477,408 tons, was disposed at the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill (WGSL), the City's last remaining solid waste landfill. However, WGSL is expected to reach its maximum capacity by the end of this year and efforts to expand its landfill space have met with public opposition.

Despite efforts to promote and encourage recycling and the increased use of H-power, tons of solid wastes are still taken to landfills statewide.

Your Committee understands that the project represents an opportunity for recycling and the diversion of solid waste from landfills. It was disclosed that the proposed facility would be diverting, processing, and recycling as much as 80 percent of the solid waste collected by a private refuse company, which would represent approximately 15 percent of Oahu's waste stream.

Although numerous concerns regarding the location of the project were raised and the technical aspects of the proposed facility that may mitigate these concerns were discussed, your Committee feels that these issues are better addressed in the permitting process.

However, there are valid concerns regarding the placing of this facility over a sole source aquifer. Your Committee discussed the possibility of requiring the facility to post a surety bond to cover the cost of water treatment facilities if contamination that can be attributed to the proposed disposal facility occurs. Your Committee encourages further discussion on this matter by the Committee on Finance.

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. 2908, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.