Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs and Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2679 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to regulate the use of hazardous wastes in animal feed, fertilizers, soil amendments, agricultural minerals, and auxiliary soil and plant substances.

The Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter and Safe Food and Fertilizer (a project of Earth Island Institute) submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Health and the Hawaiian Alliance for Responsible Technology & Science submitted testimony in opposition.

Your Committees find that fertilizers, soil amendments, agricultural minerals, animal feed, and auxiliary soil and plant substances may contain substances derived from hazardous materials. It is important to regulate the use of hazardous materials in these products to protect people and the environment against hazardous waste exposure. The measure is modeled after California legislation that closes a loophole in federal regulations that would otherwise permit the use of hazardous waste in certain products, such as fertilizer.

Your Committees amended this measure by making technical, non-substantive amendments for clarity and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs and Water, Land, and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2679, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2679, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.