Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 40 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request Hawaii's Congressional delegation to support legislation requiring the United State Department of Defense to locate and remove chemical and conventional munitions that were dumped at sea following World War II.

The Conservation Council for Hawaii, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and Life of the Land submitted testimony in support of this measure.

The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii testified that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety, and Public health confirmed that research indicates that chemical weapons were disposed of in five locations off the shores of Oahu. The Army is allegedly near the completion of study on the disposal of chemical weapons at sea, including the blistering agent lewisite. Your Committee finds that members of Hawaii's Congressional delegation should be urged to press for legislation requiring the United States Department of Defense to locate and remediate chemical and conventional munitions dumped at sea to protect the public and environment from potentially harmful effects.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 40, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Education and Military Affairs, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 40, S.D. 1.