STAND. COM. REP. NO.  156-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2510

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2510 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to continue the study by the University of Hawaii (UH) on the State's environmental review process and, among other matters, to focus on developing a strategy for modernizing Hawaii's environmental review system.

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Conservation Council for Hawaii, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Environmental Center at UH Manoa supported the intent of this measure.  The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii supported this bill with amendments.  The Office of Environmental Quality Control opposed this bill.  The Gas Company and the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii provided comments.

     Your Committee finds that funding of the study to modernize Hawaii's environmental review process is of critical importance to the future well being of the state.  Act 294, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, appropriated $108,675 to the Environmental Center to perform a comprehensive review of the environmental impact statement process under Chapter 343, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  However, clerical errors at the departmental level caused a funding failure that ultimately terminated the review.  The appropriation in this bill will revive the previous attempt and complete the development of a strategy to modernize Hawaii's environmental review system.  House Bill No. 2688, the supplemental legislative budget bill, also appropriates funds to the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB), including $300,000 for a contract with UH to conduct a study of the environmental review process.  Nonetheless, to ensure funding of the study, your Committee encourages the passage of this bill through the legislative process.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Requiring LRB, instead of the Auditor, to contract with UH to conduct the study;

(2)  Requiring submission of an interim report prior to the Regular Session of 2009; and

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2510, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2510, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Legislative Management.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

HERMINA MORITA, Chair