STAND. COM. REP. NO.  882-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 2165

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2165, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to protect public health by:

     (1)  Appropriating funds to the Department of Health (Department) to establish five full-time positions and to contract with consultants to monitor the United States Navy's and the United States Defense Logistics Agency's compliance with the Administrative Order on Consent requiring evaluation and mitigation of environmental damage caused by leaks of fuel at the Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility;

     (2)  Requiring the Department to seek reimbursement from the United States Navy and the United States Defense Logistics Agency for funds appropriated for personnel and consultants;

     (3)  Appropriating funds for the siting and installation of two monitor wells to test the condition of the groundwater aquifer underneath and surrounding the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility; and

     (4)  Requiring the Department to submit annual reports to the Legislature on the status of the Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency's compliance with the Administrative Order on Consent.

The Board of Water Supply and Sierra Club of Hawaii testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Health and Navy Region Hawaii provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an unspecified number for the positions to be established; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2165, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2165, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair