RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the Legislature is compelled by the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to improve the quality of life for its citizens while preserving the State's most precious resource, its pristine natural environment; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii discards more waste on a per capita basis than any other state in the union and, by the calculations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, has reached a solid waste diversion rate of only nineteen per cent, while the national average is twenty-eight per cent; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that our islands are experiencing an increase of abandoned vehicles, tires, and batteries, causing ecological damage, hurting community pride, and adversely affecting the tourism industry; and

WHEREAS, the State is witnessing a proliferation of electronic waste such as computers, televisions, cellular phones, video and audio products, and other electronic devices that contain chemicals highly toxic to the environment and human health, threatening to pollute the islands' ground, air, and supplies of drinking water; and

WHEREAS, the State is obliged in section 342G-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to reduce the solid waste stream through source reduction, recycling, re-use, and alternative waste processing by fifty per cent by the year 2000, a goal that has not been met; and

WHEREAS, the counties are responsible for disposing of solid waste, managing landfill and incineration operations, devising their own solid waste management plans, and other activities related to maintaining the environment; and

WHEREAS, the State is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Hawaii Integrated Solid Waste Management Act through the Office of Solid Waste Management of the Department of Health; and

WHEREAS, the Legislative Task Force on Waste Management and Recycling found that the State does not have a solid waste management plan that addresses, to the best of the State's ability, ways to manage the disposal, recycling, re-use, and processing of these kinds of solid waste; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature requests that a special task force be convened to evaluate new approaches to the management of electronic and automotive solid waste; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that the task force be composed of:

1. The Director of Health, or the Director's designee, who will also serve as the Chair of the task force;
2. The Comptroller or the Comptroller's designee;
3. One representative from each county's solid waste management agency;
4. One member of the House of Representatives, selected by the Speaker of the House;
5. One member of the Senate, selected by the President of the Senate;
6. Two individuals, selected by the Director of Health, representing the solid waste management industry;
7. Two individuals, selected by the Director of Health, representing environmental interests;
8. Two individuals, selected by the Director of Health, one representing the manufacturers of automotive products and one representing the manufacturers of electronic products; and
9. Two individuals, selected by the Director of Health, one representing the retailers of automotive products and one representing the retailers of electronic products; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chair of the task force is requested to coordinate the meetings and seek the assistance from Department of Health program staff, as necessary and appropriate to provide administrative, clerical, and other staff support; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to:

1. Determine who should be responsible for appropriate disposal or recycling of automotive and electronic waste, e.g., manufacturers, retailers, consumers, waste handlers, or a combination;
2. Evaluate and recommend incentives to encourage greater public and private recycling, re-use, and proper disposal of automobiles, tires, batteries, and electronic products;
3. Evaluate and recommend new or revised penalties and enforcement mechanisms to discourage improper disposal of automobiles, tires, batteries, and electronic products;
4. Evaluate and recommend methods for the collection and safe disposal of tires, batteries and electronic waste including, but not limited to, setting up collection centers, requiring retailers to accept electronic devices, and banning electronic waste disposal in landfills;
5. Evaluate and recommend the use of innovative technologies for the disposal, recycling or alternative processing of automobiles, tires, batteries, electronic products, and other solid waste;
6. Evaluate and recommend regulations, including, but not limited to, "cradle to grave" laws to make manufacturers responsible for their products;
7. Evaluate and recommend appropriate funding strategies to implement statewide electronic waste management including, but not limited to, imposing advance recovery fees on tires, batteries, cars, and electronics; and
8. Recommend a plan and timetable for implementing statewide solid waste management; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to report its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2006; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the President of the Senate; the Chairperson of the Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection of the House of Representatives; the Chairperson of the Committee on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs of the Senate; the Chairperson of the Committee on Water, Land Use, and Ocean Resources of the House of Representatives; the Chairperson of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture of the Senate; the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; the Director of Health; the Chair of the Board of Health; the Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control; the Deputy Director of Environmental Health Administration; the Chief of the Environmental Management Division; and the Chief of the Office of Solid Waste Management.

Report Title:

Waste Management