HB247.DOC

SECTION 1. (a) The disaster preparedness interagency task force is established within the department of accounting and general services for administrative purposes only.

(b) The task force shall consist of the following members, as follows:

(1) The vice-director of civil defense, who shall serve as the chairperson of the task force;

(2) The adjutant general or the adjutant general's designee;

(3) The director of health or the director's designee;

(4) The chairperson of the board of land and natural resources or the chairperson's designee;

(5) The director of public safety or the director's designee;

(6) The director of transportation or the director's designee;

(7) The director of business, economic development, and tourism or the director's designee;

(8) The superintendent of education or the superintendent's designee;

(9) An expert on geology from the University of Hawaii appointed by the president of the University of Hawaii;

(10) An expert on volcanism from the University of Hawaii appointed by the president of the University of Hawaii;

(11) A representative of the University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources appointed by the president of the University of Hawaii;

(12) The mayors of the counties of Honolulu, Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui or the respective mayor's designees;

(13) The meteorologist-in-charge of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center shall be requested to serve;

(14) A meteorologist from the National Weather Service shall be requested to serve; and

(15) The executive director of the Pacific Disaster Center shall be requested to serve.

(1) Identify existing and potential natural hazards;

(2) Designate natural hazard impact zones;

(3) Establish priorities for natural hazard mitigation and disaster preparation and mitigation;

(4) Develop policies, requirements, and incentives for mitigating the problems caused by natural hazards;

(5) Develop plans for best responses to natural hazards and other disasters to minimize costs and protect the interests of Hawaii's residents, their possessions and pets, and visitors to the State, including plans that ensure the reliability of communication networks and power supplies to major airports, health care facilities, and other essential services.

(d) The task force shall have the following duties specific to the study, prevention, and mitigation of the effects of vog:

(1) Establish an effective central point of contact at which the public can gain access to information regarding various vog-related concerns;

(2) Work with health care providers and health insurance providers to determine if there is a notable increase in specific ailments or specific claims during days with heavy vog;

(3) Develop a coordinated and efficient system for collecting health data to ascertain the possible short-term and long-term health effects of exposure to vog, sulfur dioxide, and volcanic emissions;

(4) Evaluate the psychological impact of vog on school children and develop age-appropriate counseling strategies;

(5) Work with health insurance companies to investigate the feasibility of providing coverage for purchases of air filters or other air filtration devices for qualified individuals affected by vog;

(6) Work with hospitals to retrofit them with air filtration devices and ensure a sealed environment to lessen the impact of vog on patients;

(7) Gather and provide to the public information regarding water safety for catchment systems, including:

(A) Finding effective and affordable methods to test water pH levels to ensure the safety of catchment system drinking water and providing information on safe pH ranges;

(B) Identifying similar methods to test for lead, copper, and other harmful agents that could enter a water catchment system;

(D) Creating a clear and easy-to-use checklist to assist residents with catchment systems in determining what actions can be taken when dealing with water with high acidity or pollutants such as lead, copper, or volcanic ash; and

(E) Coordinating water testing methods with those of the University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources cooperative extension services;

(8) Develop a plan to install air conditioning and air filtration devices in schools;

(9) Establish shelters outfitted with air filters for evacuated residents;

(10) Provide sulfur dioxide monitors for schools and establish protocols for actions to take when high levels of sulfur dioxide have been detected;

(11) Consult the charter school system to determine what practices they have adopted that may be used effectively in the public schools to ensure the safety of children;

(12) Develop safe practices for school children affected by vog;

(13) Investigate the possible use of services from civilian environmental scientists contracted by the United States Army and stationed at the Pohakuloa Training Area as an investigative team to determine recommended actions in dealing with vog;

(14) Provide real property tax relief for farmers who have been negatively impacted by vog;

(15) Collect data on the short-term and long-term economic impacts of vog;

(16) Identify, map, and provide information to the public on alternate evacuation routes, such as back roads, whether located on government or private property;

(17) Develop plans to assist residents in the event that permanent relocation becomes necessary;

(18) Provide sulfur dioxide monitors to farmers in the southern part of Hawaii county and train farmers in the use of monitors;

(19) Establish a local early warning system to inform farmers and other residents of a sudden increase in vog concentrations;

(20) Establish monitoring and sampling systems for fluorine concentrations in foliage in areas affected by vog;

(21) Work with farmers to conduct comprehensive research, including controlled experiments and field trials, to determine the best methods for employing vog treatments such as water, anti-desiccants, and paraffin waxes;

(22) Conduct research to find specific varieties of crops more resistant to the effects of vog;

(23) Establish financial assistance programs, either grants or low-interest loans, for farmers adversely affected by vog;

(24) Establish assistance programs, either grants or low-interest loans to assist ranchers in repairing ranch and pasture infrastructure damaged by vog;

(25) Restructure or adapt rules of existing loan programs to address the specific problems posed by vog;

(26) When available, assist farmers in applying for and receiving assistance under the federal Supplemental Disaster Assistance Program;

(27) Assist interested farmers to form agricultural non-profit cooperatives that may be eligible for additional federal assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development;

(28) If it appears that vog will persist indefinitely, begin to search for alternative areas to which farmers who need to relocate their operations can move;

(29) Provide information and training to hotel and tourism industry employees to respond to questions from and provide information to visitors about vog and its possible effects;

(30) Transmit civil defense, agricultural, economic, health, and other relevant data and findings collected by the task force to the University of Hawaii at Hilo center for the study of active volcanoes for archiving; and

(31) Disseminate information on the findings of the task forces on health and safety, and other relevant information, to the public in a timely manner.

(e) As used in this section:

"Disaster" means any natural or human-caused catastrophe, the occurrence of which is unanticipated or difficult to predict, that results in significant property damage, hardship, suffering, or loss of life within the State.

"Natural hazard" means hurricane, storm, flood, tsunami, tidal wave, wind-driven water, earthquake, volcanic activity, volcanic smog or "vog", lava flow, rockslide, earthslide, fire, or other natural disaster.

"Task force" means the disaster preparedness interagency task force.

"Vog" means volcanic smog and includes any other gaseous, chemical, or particulate volcanic emissions into the air that result from volcanic activity in the State.

(f) The task force shall report annually to the governor and the legislature on its findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session of the legislature.

SECTION 2. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	247
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII