Report Title:

Agri-business; Permitting

 

Description:

Requires the Department of Health to establish and implement procedures to give priority processing of permit applications and renewals for agricultural processing facilities that process crops or livestock from an agri-business with a majority of the lands held, owned, or used by the agri-business identified and designated as important agricultural lands.

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1640

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to permits.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  Section 342B-24, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§342B-24  Action on a permit application.  (a)  Within sixty days of receipt of an application, the department shall give the applicant written notice that the application is complete, or give the applicant written notice of incompleteness outlining additional information requirements.

     (b)  The department shall take final action on each permit application within eighteen months after the application is determined or deemed to be complete, except that in each of the first three years of the permit program, the department need only act on one third of the permit applications submitted during the first year of the permit program.  The department may prioritize final action on applications for construction or modification.

     (c)  Each application for a covered source shall be subject to federal oversight.

     (d)  For each application for a covered source permit, the director shall provide public notice, including the method by which a public hearing can be requested, and an opportunity for public comments in accordance with section 342B-13.

     (e)  The department shall establish and implement a procedure for the priority processing of permit applications and renewals, at no additional cost to the applicant, for agricultural processing facilities that process crops or livestock from an agri-business with a majority of the lands held, owned, or used by the agri-business, identified and designated as important agricultural lands pursuant to part III of chapter 205, excluding lands held, owned, or used by the agri-business in the conservation district.  Any priority permit processing procedure established pursuant to this section shall not imply or provide that any permit application filed under the priority processing procedure shall be automatically approved.

     As used in this subsection, "agri-business" means a business primarily engaged in the care and production of livestock, livestock products, poultry, poultry products, or apiary, horticultural, or floricultural products, or the planting, cultivating, and harvesting of crops or trees."

     SECTION 2.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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