STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2067

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2519

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2519 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Agribusiness Development Corporation to enter into contracts with private businesses to remove select municipal solid waste, glass, and food and green waste from the waste stream for use in other business sectors, including agriculture, construction, and energy production.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; O‘ahu County Legislative Priorities Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that as the State's economy continues to grow, it is critical that innovative processes are applied to the recycling sector to reduce the pressure on the State's environment and to capture as much value as possible to support local business sectors. The Agribusiness Development Corporation, in its role of developing agriculture initiatives, is uniquely positioned to implement existing and emerging technology toward the goal of optimizing value from waste streams for agricultural uses. Your Committee finds that reducing solid waste and reusing municipal solid waste, glass, and food and green waste is something all sectors of the government should be championing.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2519 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair