STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2997

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2646

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Economic Development, Environment, and Technology and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2646, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to protect public health by establishing a permanent Fuel Tank Advisory Committee within the Department of Health to study, monitor, and address issues related to leaks of underground fuel storage tanks.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Health, City and County of Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, and three individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Navy Region Hawaii.

     Your Committees find that protecting the environment and underground sources of drinking water is in the best interest of public health and safety and required under article XI, section 7, of the state constitution.  Since 2005, petroleum chemical contaminants have been detected in the groundwater and rocks beneath the United States Department of the Navy's Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility fuel tanks.  Your Committees further find that while it should be the duty of the United States Navy to fund efforts to monitor and remediate fuel leaking from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, the protection of Oahu's drinking water supply is of such critical importance to the health and safety of the people of Hawaii that the City and County of Honolulu Board of Water Supply is funding the installation of two test wells in the area, the State is funding two test wells in the area, and the people of Hawaii are waiting for the United States Navy to provide funding for at least four additional wells.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Expanding the membership of the Fuel Tank Advisory Committee to include the Chairperson of the Commission on Water Resource Management, or the Chairperson's designee, and the Director of Health, or the Director's designee;

     (2)  Clarifying that the Fuel Tank Advisory Committee shall study issues related to leaks of field-constructed underground fuel storage tanks; and

     (3)  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 Economic Development, Environment, and Technology and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2646, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2646, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development, Environment, and Technology and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair