STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2466

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2192

       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 Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2192 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOLID WASTE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of the community adjacent to or near the Waimanalo Gulch landfill by requiring the Department of Health to conduct an independent study and determination of the effect of the requested permit modifications on the stability and structural integrity of the existing landfill, particularly the increased risk of a landslide occurring as a result of the requested permit modifications.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Health and the City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services.

     Your Committees find that the permit modification request presented for review by the City and County of Honolulu and the landfill operator only included a static and seismic stability analysis of one-third of the landfill fronting Farrington Highway.  Your Committees further find that legitimate concerns have been raised regarding the expertise and requisite background of the Department of Health engineer that conducted the initial analysis.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Health to establish measures to ensure the accuracy of the findings derived from the study; and

     (2)  Requiring the Department of Health to conduct and complete the study without negatively impacting the City and County of Honolulu's operations or permitting procedures.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2192, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2192, 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 Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair