STAND. COM. REP. NO.  129-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2611

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 2611 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to clarify and make permanent current exemptions from Hawaii's environmental impact statement law for secondary actions that occur within the highway or public right-of-way.

     Specifically, this measure amends and makes permanent the exemptions created in Act 87, Session Laws of Hawaii 2009, as amended by Act 45, Session Laws of Hawaii 2011.

The Department of Transportation, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and Building Industry Association of Hawaii testified in support of this measure.  The Office of Environmental Quality Control of the Department of Health testified in support of the intent of this measure.  The Outdoor Circle and a concerned individual testified in opposition to this measure.

     According to the Department of Transportation, it has been inundated with a large number of requests for minor work project reviews that increases the processing time for applications affecting rights-of-way.  The processing of these minor work project reviews costs numerous man hours and causes unnecessary project delays.  This measure attempts to address this issue.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2611 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair