STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3218

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 68

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.C.R. No. 68 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL TO SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ON THE REVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT RULES, TITLE 11, CHAPTER 200, HAWAII ADMINISTRATIVE RULES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Environmental Council to submit a report to the Legislature on the process of revising environmental impact statement rules, title 11, chapter 200, Hawaii Administrative Rules.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Environmental Quality Control and O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i.

Your Committee finds that the Environmental Council serves as a liaison between the Director of Health and the public on matters concerning ecology and environmental quality, monitors the progress of state, county, and federal agencies in achieving the State's environmental goals and policies, and publishes its findings in its annual reports. Your Committee further finds that the Environmental Council's administrative rules were last revised in 1996. The Environmental Council, with assistance from University of Hawaii law students, met throughout 2017 to prepare revised rules and will soon hold public hearings pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, on the working draft version 0.4 of the proposed revised rules.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 68 and recommends its adoption.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair