STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1840-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.C.R. No. 159

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 159, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE PESTICIDES ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WITH ESTABLISHING AN AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDE DISPOSAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to protect Hawaii's natural environment by requesting the Pesticides Advisory Committee to assist the Department of Agriculture (DOA) with establishing a Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program (Disposal Program) to provide an available, affordable mechanism by which farmers in the state can properly dispose of unwanted or unusable pesticides.

The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, and the Hawaii Pest Control Association supported this concurrent resolution. DOA opposed this measure.

Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting the substance of H.C.R. No. 255, H.D. 1. Among other things, this amended measure:

(1) Is entitled:

"REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO ESTABLISH AN AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDE DISPOSAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.";

(2) Requests DOA to establish a Disposal Program;

(3) Requests the DOA Pesticides Advisory Committee to study the establishment of the Disposal Program, in consultation with a representative from each county and from the pesticides industry, and submit a report to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

(4) Specifies that pesticide users who control pests in and around structures are also confronted with challenges in the disposal of their pesticide containers and that it is desirable to include these containers in the Disposal Program.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Energy & Environmental Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 159, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 159, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________ HERMINA MORITA, Chair		____________________________ FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair