STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2395

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2940

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Water and Land and Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2940 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to prohibit hydraulic fracturing and the collection, transport, storage, processing, or discharge of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Kanaka Maoli o Puna, Hawaii Sustainable Community Alliance, Malu Aina, Paradise Action Womens Alliance, MoveOn.org, and numerous individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Indigenous Consultants LLC; Innovations Development Group; Hu'ena Power; and three individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from one individual.

     Your Committees find that natural gas extraction may have negative consequences for the environment in which it takes place, as does all fossil fuel extraction.  Fracking also releases carbon into the atmosphere, which contributes to global climate change.  There is also evidence that fracking may contaminate the drinking water supply.

However, testimony on this measure indicates that there are no fracking operations anywhere in the State at this time, and there has never been any in the past.  The soil composition of the Hawaiian islands, being porous in nature from lava formations, is unsuitable for fracking.  Your Committees are concerned that this measure may be interpreted as prohibiting "drilling" in relation to geothermal resources, which is not the intent of your Committees.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land and Energy and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2940, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2940, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

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

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

____________________________ MALAMA SOLOMON, Chair