STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2631

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2911

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2911, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL DUE DILIGENCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate a land exchange transaction for the relocation of a public library on the island of Hawaii.

More specifically, the measure makes an appropriation for the Department of Land and Natural Resources to conduct a phase I environmental site assessment and, if necessary, a phase II environmental site assessment and suitable environmental remediation at the former Lalamilo reservoir site on the island of Hawaii as due diligence concerning the Lalamilo reservoir site land exchange transaction for the relocation of a public library.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Hawaii State Public Library System.

Your Committee finds that it is necessary to conduct environmental due diligence, including site assessment and suitable remediation, to move forward with a proposed land exchange that is necessary for the replacement of the Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library on the island of Hawaii. The current library site is located on the Waimea Elementary School campus, causing safety concerns and issues related to access and parking. In exchange for the former Lalamilo resevoir site, the State will receive a parcel of land for the new library.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050; and

(2) Changing the appropriation from $500,000 to an unspecified amount,

to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2911, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2911, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair