STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2938

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 40

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Labor, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 40 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR ENFORCEMENT OF EXISTING OSHA REGULATIONS ON THE USE OF HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM AND URGING OSHA TO DEVELOP SAFER ALTERNATIVES AND BAN HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to support existing safety regulations concerning hexavalent chromium with the ultimate goal of eventually banning the chemical due to its negative short- and long-term health effects.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the American Cancer Society.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was received from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees find that this measure promotes the safety of workers in the many industries that use hexavalent chromium.  As a general policy, the Legislature opposes the use of chemicals that have serious and potentially fatal effects, particularly when safer alternatives are available.

     Your Committees further find that the Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division works hard to enforce industrial safety regulations but by dint of the huge number of buildings, locations, chemicals, and codes that they cover the onus must also be on businesses to reduce the risk to their workers, consumers, and neighbors by eliminating toxic chemicals wherever possible.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 40, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 40, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Labor,

____________________________ DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair