HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	263
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE RESEARCH CORPORATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AND THE INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM REVIEWING CHAPTERS 341, 343, AND 344, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES, TO REVIEW THE FEASIBILITY AND IMPACT OF REQUIRING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT TO INCLUDE EFFECTS OF A PROPOSED ACTION AS A CONTRIBUTOR TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

     WHEREAS, the potential adverse impacts of climate change and global warming include a rise in sea levels and risk associated with hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, flooding, wildfires, and other natural and technological hazards resulting in the displacement of businesses and residences and damage to marine ecosystems and the natural environment; and

     WHEREAS, the effects will not only impact the health and safety of Hawaii's residents, but also ripple through the state's economy as some of Hawaii's largest industries, including tourism, agriculture, recreational and commercial fishing, and forestry, are adversely affected; and

     WHEREAS, the leading contributor to global warming and climate change is the release of carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the recent increases in fossil fuel demand and industrialization worldwide have served to increase such emissions and hasten adverse climate change; and

     WHEREAS, Chapters 341, 343, and 344, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the basis of Hawaii's environmental review process, have protected the state's environment for over 30 years; and

     WHEREAS, notwithstanding the success of these laws, concerns have arisen regarding the ability of this process to adapt to the modern demands for achieving sustainability in Hawaii in a way that appropriately balances the state economy, environment, and social conditions over the long term; and

     WHEREAS, in addition, best practices for environmental assessments, globally and nationally, have changed dramatically since Hawaii's laws were written, and Hawaii has not optimized the opportunities to learn from these developments; and

     WHEREAS, our environmental review process must continue to evolve and improve, encouraging and adopting best practices for agencies, planners, businesses, and affected communities as well as for the courts, to promote sustainability in Hawaii and protect our unique and fragile natural ecosystem and resources; and

     WHEREAS, a study of our environmental review process that was previously mandated by the Legislature in Act 294, Session Laws of 2006, was not completed due to a lapse in the appropriation for the Department of Health; and

     WHEREAS, recent judicial and legislative events surrounding the Superferry underscore the pressing need to continue to pursue the completion of a study, with a broad focus, that will assist in the development of a broad strategy to modernize Hawaii's environmental review system; and

     WHEREAS, the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) will enter into a contract with the University of Hawaii (UH) to conduct a study of the state's environmental review process, and also requires UH, through the Research Corporation of UH, to establish an interdisciplinary team of faculty, researchers, and students from the UH Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Center, and the environmental law program at the William S. Richardson School of Law, among other technical experts in the field of environmental management and planning; and

     WHEREAS, the Research Corporation of UH and the interdisciplinary team, in conducting their study, should also consider a proposal discussed during this legislative session that would require an environmental impact statement (EIS) to include effects of a proposed action as a contributor to climate change; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that the Research Corporation of UH and the interdisciplinary team reviewing Chapters 341, 343, and 344, Hawaii Revised Statutes, are requested to review the feasibility and impact of requiring an EIS to include effects of a proposed action as a contributor to climate change; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, President of the University of Hawaii, and Director of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii.

Report Title: 

Study of Environmental Review Process