STAND. COM. REP. NO.  851

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 834

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 834, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WATER QUALITY STANDARDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to revise the State's water quality standards for state inland and marine waters.

     The Department of Health and Hawaii Water Environment Association supported this bill.  Sierra Club-Hawaii Chapter, Life of the Land, and a concerned individual opposed this measure.  The City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services and the County of Kauai Wastewater Management Division offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Adding a limited exception from the adoption of federal criteria for nonpriority pollutants not currently regulated in the Hawaii Administrative Rules;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to upon its approval; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 834, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 834, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair