STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3440

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2407

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2407, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATEWIDE COMPOSTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Health to adopt or amend rules to establish a classification system for composting facilities or operations for purposes of regulation; and

(2) Allow composting and co-composting in the agricultural district, including on lands with class A or B soils.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Department of Health; City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency; Kahana Foundation; Hawaii Youth Climate Coalition; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Kokua Hawaii Foundation; Zero Waste O‘ahu; Down to Earth; Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii; WAI: Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations, and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Farm Bureau and one individual.

Your Committee finds that small food waste composters currently go through the same permit process and meet the same requirements as industrial-scale solid waste management facilities. This measure will help create a more diverse waste management system that is better suited to the current needs of our State and increase the number of composting operations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending language to require the Department of Health to specifically examine if food waste of any amount should qualify a composter of any size to become a solid waste management facility when establishing a classification system for composting facilities or operations;

(2) Inserting a blank appropriation to create a program specialist position in the Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch that will focus on administrative rulemaking efforts;

(3) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2020; and

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

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 H.B. No. 2407, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2407, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair