HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

288

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  
   

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

requesting the chairperson of the board of land and natural resources and the adjutant general to conduct a study of all public and privately owned dams in the state.

 

WHEREAS, there are more than one hundred thirty dams, privately and publicly owned, throughout the State of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, many of these dams are earthen dams, built in the 1800's by the sugar plantations to retain irrigation water in reservoirs; and

WHEREAS, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, there are fifty-seven dams in the State that are classified "high hazard" due to their proximity to urban areas that would cause loss of life and significant property damage, but these dams have no deficiencies that raise safety concerns; and

WHEREAS, at least twenty-two dams in the State have deficiencies that raise safety concerns and that twenty of those dams are classified as "high hazard"; and

WHEREAS, the catastrophic failure of Kaloko Reservoir dam on Kauai on March 14, 2006, has caused the loss of lives and millions of dollars in property damage; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Adjutant General are requested to conduct a study of all dams, publicly and privately owned, in the State of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in conducting the study, the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Adjutant General are requested to determine and include but not be limited to:

(1) The ownership of all dams;

(2) The condition of each dam, noting any deficiencies;

(3) The estimated damage that may be incurred if the dam were to fail;

(4) An action plan to address the maintenance of all dams;

(5) An action plan to address the repair and restoration of dams with deficiencies that raises safety concerns and are classified as "high hazard"; and

(6) A determination of what course of action the State must take if the owner of a dam refuses to repair or restore a private dam as directed by a state agency; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Adjutant General are requested to submit their findings and recommendations to the Legislature, including any proposed legislation, at least twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, and the Adjutant General.

 

 
 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Board of Land and Natural Resources, Civil Defense; Dams