RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, thirty years ago, thousands of American cities dumped their raw sewage directly into our nation's rivers, lakes, and bays; and

WHEREAS, today, because of improved wastewater treatment, our waterways are cleaner and safer for recreation and seafood harvest; and

WHEREAS, many American cities are using the treated residuals from wastewater treatment (biosolids) as a source of agricultural nutrients; and

WHEREAS, biosolids are the nutrient-rich organic materials resulting from the treatment of sewage sludge which can be safely recycled and applied as fertilizer to improve and maintain productive soils and stimulate plant growth; and

WHEREAS, diversified agriculture in the State is quickly growing into a strong economic sector of the agricultural industry and would greatly benefit from biosolids, as would other agricultural sectors; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, the Senate concurring, the Office of Environmental Quality Control and the Department of Agriculture are requested to study the feasibility of utilizing biosolids as a source of nutrients in agriculture; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to Chair of the Board of Agriculture and the Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control.

Report Title:

Biosolids; Agriculture