STAND. COM. REP. NO.  518

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 1484

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1484 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AIR POLLUTION FEES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to encourage responsible environmental stewardship by removing the fee cap for air pollutant emissions which currently acts as a disincentive to large polluters to reduce pollution.

     The Sierra Club-Hawaii Chapter and Blue Planet Foundation testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Health provided comments.

     Your Committee finds that with the removal of the fee cap about $230,000 in additional revenues would be collected depending on the actual amount of pollutants emitted by the affected sources.  Revenues go into the Clean Air Special Fund which are used to administer the air pollution permit program requirements, with restricted uses under federal law.

     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. 1484 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

HERMINA MORITA, Chair