STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1484

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1376

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1376 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PETROLEUM-CONTAMINATED SOIL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to reduce the unnecessary permitting burden on remediation contractors and developers of petroleum-contaminated sites (PCS).

     Specifically, this measure repeals the permit requirement for transporting PCS.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Health.  Four individuals with the Environmental Center of the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that there has been a significant decrease in the number of releases and clean ups of PCS since the change in federal regulations in 1988.  Your Committee further finds that the Department of Health has increased its oversight on the proper management and disposal of PCS at both the site of generation and the site of disposal.  Therefore, your Committee finds that the permit requirements for transportation between the site of generation and site of disposal is no longer necessary and may be redundant.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1376, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy and Environment,

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair