STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1518

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1278

       H.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1278, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL SITE CLEANUP,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to enable the State to continue to offer low-cost loans to qualified borrowers to cleanup contaminated properties.

     The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, and the County of Hawaii Department of Environmental Management submitted comments in support of the bill.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund assists qualified borrowers with the cleanup of contaminated sites in accordance with federal environmental and hazardous substances pollution guidelines.  The fund, however, is set to be repealed on June 30, 2007.

     This bill repeals the fund's sunset date to provide for the continued cleanup of contaminated properties.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1278, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair