STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1299

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1640

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1640 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERMITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to protect and support a viable and diversified agricultural industry in Hawaii by establishing a priority system for processing permit applications for air pollution controls for operators of agricultural processing facilities that process crops or livestock from an agribusiness where the majority of the lands the agribusiness owns or uses are identified and designated as important agricultural lands.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Agriculture; the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Alexander and Baldwin, Inc.; the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company; the Kauai Coffee Company, Inc.; the Maui County Farm Bureau; and the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter; and Hawaii's Thousand Friends.  The Department of Health submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that establishing and implementing a procedure for the priority processing of air permit applications and renewals for agricultural processing facilities that process crops or livestock from an agribusiness owning or using important agricultural lands will provide an additional incentive for landowners to designate their lands as important agricultural lands pursuant to chapter 205, part III, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  Your Committee notes that the priority processing of permit applications and renewals for agricultural processing facilities that process crops or livestock from agribusinesses on or using important agricultural lands should be extended to all applicable state departments and agencies that issue and renew permits for these types of facilities.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and replacing it with language that amends chapters 205 and 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by requiring any state agency issuing permits that is subject to Title 13 or 19, Hawaii Revised Statutes, 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 agribusiness that owns or uses lands that are identified and designated as important agricultural lands.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1640, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1640, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair