STAND. COM. REP. NO. 717-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 1934

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1934 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to protect the local environment from the harms relating to the disposing of waste by prohibiting the construction of injection wells in the State.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu, and several concerned individuals supported this measure. The Department of Environmental Management of the County of Hawaii, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Yogi Kwong Engineers, LLC, The Limtiaco Consulting Group, Hart Crowser, American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., Maui Electric Company, Ltd., and Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc. opposed this measure. The Department of Health provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the Department of Health shall prohibit the construction of sewage wastewater injection wells, unless there is no feasible alternative;

(2) Clarifying the definition of "injection well";

(3) Changing the effective date to January 28, 2045, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1934, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1934, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair