STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1611

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.C.R. No. 129

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Energy and Environment and Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 129, H.D. 2, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH TO DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS TO ADDRESS THE DATA GAP ON AIR, SURFACE WATER, AND NEAR SHORE EFFECTS OF ATRAZINE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Director of Health to develop partnerships to address the data gap on air, surface water, and near shore effects of atrazine.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health and three individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Farm Bureau and Syngenta Hawaii.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

     Your Committees find that the toxicity of atrazine is well documented and has been shown to have adverse endocrine effects in humans, mammals, and amphibians.  Your Committees further find that tests performed by the Department of Health indicate that drinking water in Hawaii, particularly in the County of Hawaii, is contaminated with measurable levels of atrazine.  This measure is necessary to urge the Department of Health to take action to protect the public safety and ascertain all impact information regarding the effects of atrazine.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the paragraph stating that the Department of Agriculture does not test for atrazine, due to the inaccuracy of this statement; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environment and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 129, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 129, H.D. 2, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environment and Health,

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair