Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 115 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to protect the nearshore ecosystems from artificial light pollution by requesting that each county address these issues in their building ordinances.

The Life of the Land testified in support of the measure. The Director of Department of Planning and Permitting for the City and County of Honolulu testified in opposition to the measure. The Land Use Research Foundation offered comments.

Your committee has learned of the significant impacts that artificial lighting has on the sensitive wildlife surrounding developed areas, ranging from disrupting coral spawning events to disorienting shorebirds. Often the lighting is inadvertently misdirected or trespasses over property lines into susceptible ecosystems, therefore County building ordinances can be designed to mitigate these affects.

Your committee had amended this measure to site common instances of light trespass and to clarify the need for the counties to make special considerations.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 115, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 115, H.D. 1.