STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1054

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 167

       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 Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 167 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CIVIL DEFENSE DIVISION OF THE HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE CIVIL DEFENSE OR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES OF THE SEVERAL COUNTIES TO EVALUATE TSUNAMI EVACUATION SITES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Civil Defense Division of the Hawaii Department of Defense to work with the Civil Defense Agency of the County of Hawaii, the Department of Emergency Management of the City and County of Honolulu, the Civil Defense Agency of the County of Kauai, and the Civil Defense Agency of the County of Maui to evaluate the appropriateness of tsunami evacuation sites in each of the counties of the State. 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Department of Defense and six individuals.

     The evaluation proposed under this measure is intended to assess evacuation sites' elevation, distance from the shoreline, proximity to gas lines or other potentially hazardous infrastructure, vulnerability to the effects of a tsunami or related disaster such as wind damage, flooding, and inundation with debris, and include recommendations for improving tsunami evacuation sites.

     According to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, areas less than twenty-five feet above sea level and within one mile of the shoreline are at greatest risk of damage including inundation, contamination of drinking water, fires from ruptured gas lines or tanks, and destruction of structures.  During the tsunami warnings issued on March 10th and 11th of 2011, many residents in the State's evacuation areas were directed to evacuation sites that were located close to shorelines and in flat, low-lying areas.  When major damage or loss of life is avoided, a natural disaster experience provides an important opportunity to review emergency procedures and preparedness plans.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending its title to accurately reflect its contents; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 167, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 167, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs,

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair