STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1661

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 35

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 35 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND THE HAWAII STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO REJECT THE APPROVAL OF A SINGLE WALL TANK UPGRADE ALTERNATIVE OPTION FOR THE RED HILL BULK FUEL STORAGE FACILITY AND THE CONCLUSIONS PRESENTED IN THE GROUNDWATER PROTECTION AND EVALUATIONS CONSIDERATIONS REPORT FOR THE RED HILL BULK FUEL STORAGE FACILITY DATED JULY 27, 2018,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaii State Department of Health to reject approval of a single wall tank upgrade alternative option and the conclusions presented in the U.S. Navy's Protection and Evaluations Considerations Report for the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, dated July 27, 2018 (Groundwater Protection and Evaluation Report).

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply; United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO; Ke One O Kākuhihewa, O‘ahu Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs; O‘ahu County Democrats Committee on Legislative Priorities; League of Women Voters of Hawaii; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Sierra Club of Hawai‘i; and seventy-seven individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the United States Department of the Navy, United States Indo-Pacific Command, Department of Health, and City and County of Honolulu Office of the City Clerk.

Your Committees find that samples collected on June 25, 2018, from the steel liner of Tank 14 at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility show the presence of rust on the backside of the liner. Your Committees further find that Oahu's primary aquifer, which supplies drinking water to more than 600,000 residents, is located only one hundred feet below these fuel tanks that are possibly contaminating Oahu's drinking water. This measure therefore urges the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaii State Department of Health to reject approval of a single wall tank upgrade alternative option and the Groundwater Protection and Evaluation Report's conclusions, in favor of stronger protections for Oahu's water sources.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Urging the Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaii State Department of Health to support the relocation of the fuel tanks away from the aquifer if secondary containment is determined to be infeasible;

(2) Deleting the reference to the Honolulu Star Advertiser's article that would have suggested that tank rust at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility is more extensive than predicted; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 35, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 35, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair