STAND. COM. REP. 1113

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 919

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 Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 919, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR BIOREMEDIATION RESEARCH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to the University of Hawaii for research on applying bioremediation technologies to remove contaminants in sediments from the Ala Wai Canal and other waterways statewide.

The Hawaii Water Environment Association, Pacific International Center for High Technology Research, and a concerned individual submitted testimony in support of this bill. The UH-Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources submitted testimony in support of the intent of this bill.

Your Committee finds that bioremediation research is critical in helping to reduce contamination of Hawaii's waterways. This bill will help to develop a small-scale biological treatment process to remove contaminants from sediments dredged from Hawaii's waterways that, if successful, can later be developed into a large-scale project.

Your Committee has amended this bill by appropriating $5,000,000 from the Department of Health Hazardous Waste Revolving Fund for:

(1) A biotreatability evaluation on sediments from various waterways targeted for dredging over the next three calendar years statewide;

(2) Research on contaminated sediments from waterways statewide;

(3) Small-scale testing, including a twelve-month screening program for plant species to remediate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons and heavy metals, and small scale field-testing;

(4) Collaboration with federal agencies and other states for the planning and pilot demonstration of constructed wetlands at appropriate waterways statewide;

(5) Collaboration with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies to research host-specificity of the Brazilian weevil and other potential bio-control agents for salvinia molesta; and

(6) The identification and solicitation of federal and other funding for research, development, and long-term maintenance of constructed wetlands and developed habitats.

Your Committee has also amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 919, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 919,

S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

 

____________________________

K. MARK TAKAI, Chair