STAND. COM. REP. NO.  417

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1640

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, 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 establish a priority system for processing permit applications for air pollution controls for operators of agricultural processing facilities that process crops or livestock from an agri-business where the majority of the lands the agri-business owns or uses is identified as important agricultural lands.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Maui County Farm Bureau, and Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was received from the Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that the underlying purpose of this measure is to extend an incentive to agriculturalists to use and preserve lands that are identified pursuant to the state Land Use Law, (chapter 205, Hawaii Revised Statutes), as important agricultural lands.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1640 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Economic Development & Business Concerns.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair