STAND. COM. REP. NO. 488

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1006

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1006 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal the sunset date of June 30, 2011, for Act 126, Session Laws of Hawaii 2009, relating to revisions of certain state water quality standards.  This measure would allow the Department of Health to continue using the United States Environmental Protection Agency's National Recommended Water Quality Criteria for the majority of the State's water quality standards in order to give the Department more time to revise its own standards.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Loretta Fuddy, Department of Health; Tim Steinberger, City and County of Honolulu, Department of Environmental Services; and Arvid Youngquist, The Mestizo Association.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Robert Harris, Sierra Club, Hawai‘i Chapter; and Carl Jellings.

     Your Committee finds that the Department of Health needs more time to develop and revise the State's water quality standards.  Your Committee further finds that the Department submitted standards to the United States Environmental Protection Agency that were in line with federal standards but were rejected due to the Agency's opinion that more stringent standards were necessary for certain toxins in Hawaii because the citizens of Hawaii allegedly consume a higher quantity of fish than the nation, on average.  Your Committee also finds that the Department is currently conducting a survey to determine whether the Agency's opinion regarding fish consumption in Hawaii is accurate and plans to use the data to determine how to proceed with its revision of water quality standards.  Your Committee recognizes that the health of the citizens of Hawaii is of the utmost importance and that this measure needs to be further considered.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to allow for further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1006, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1006, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy and Environment,

____________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair