STAND. COM. REP. NO. 666-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2470

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2470 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to protect the people and environment of Hawaii by requiring state and county agencies with regulatory jurisdiction over environmental protection matters to adopt and maintain rules pertaining to environmental protection, air quality, water supplies, water quality, and drinking water that are as stringent as, or more stringent than, applicable baseline federal standards in existence on or before January 1, 2017.

The Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Board of Water Supply, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Surfrider Foundation O‘ahu Chapter, Hawaii Peace and Justice, Blue Planet Foundation, Sierra Club of Hawai‘i, Cuddle Party, Kokua Hawaii Foundation, and several individuals supported this measure. The Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc., Ponoholo Ranch Limited, Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and an individual opposed this measure. The Department of Health provided comments.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Providing that changes to the definition of "waters of the United States" made by the federal Clean Water Rule as published on June 29, 2015, and currently subject to judicial review and stay of enforcement shall not be applicable as baseline federal standards; and

(2) Changing its effective date to January 28, 2045, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2470, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2470, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land,

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

____________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair