STAND. COM. REP. 897
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2003
RE: S.B. No. 1593
S.D. 1
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2003
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1593, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to promote fair treatment of groups affected by environmental laws by:
(1) Requiring state and county agencies that control the siting and disposing of hazardous materials, store toxins or release pollutants at their facilities, or issue permits for these activities, to provide fair treatment to native Hawaiian and low-income populations;
(2) Requiring State and county agencies to address environmental justice concerns; and
(3) Establishing two committees to provide guidance, research, and conduct inquiries on environmental justice issues.
Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, rules, and policies.
The Attorney General opposed this measure.
Your Committee believes that everyone in Hawaii should enjoy the same protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process in matters that affect their health and environment. Your Committee further believes that this objective would be served by requiring the disclosure and proposed mitigation of environmental justice impacts in all environmental impact statements for proposed action in the State.
Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Deleting its substance and inserting the substance of H.B. No. 470, H.D.1, which requires the disclosure and proposed mitigation of environmental justice impacts in all environmental impact statements for proposed action in the State;
(2) Creating an environmental justice working group to develop guidelines for implementing environmental justice; and
(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style and clarity.
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. 1593, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1593, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection,
|
____________________________ HERMINA M. MORITA, Chair |