STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3106

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2076

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Energy and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2076, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEPLETED URANIUM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to protect the public health and welfare by establishing air sampling stations to determine whether, and to what degree, depleted uranium contamination is taking place outside military facilities where depleted uranium munitions are used.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Life of the Land and five individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.  The Department of Health and the Department of Defense submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committees find that it is well-documented that depleted uranium is a highly toxic substance that is used in military munitions.  The Department of Health estimates that the cost of implementing this measure will be $1.6 million.  This measure will serve to protect the public health by determining whether there is in fact evidence of depleted uranium contamination and the location of contamination sites.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050 to encourage further discussions on this matter.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Energy and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2076, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2076, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Energy and Environment,

____________________________ RON MENOR, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair