STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2919

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2532

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2532, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMPOSTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a class of artisan-scale composting operations exempt from Department of Health regulations to divert organic materials from Hawaii's landfills.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Forest Stewards, Zero Waste Big Island, Momilani Farm, Pele Lani Farm LLC, Aina Design, Sustainable Island Products, Down to Earth Organic and Natural, Recycle Hawaii, and thirty-four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the use of composted organics with their vast stores of macro- and micro-nutrients greatly improves the health of all soils in ways that protect and enhance natural systems. Because organics in landfilled waste are the largest source of human-generated methane, and because methane is a greenhouse gas, the diversion of waste organics into composting programs offers the least costly and most direct method for significantly reducing the amount of methane emitted from Hawaii's landfills. This measure allows for the establishment of a statewide composting distribution system that diverts organic materials from Hawaii's landfills to further serve the needs of farmers and rural communities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Placing the proposed statutory language under chapter 342H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, rather than chapter 225P, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Clarifying that artisan-scale operations are exempt from only composting permitting requirements and related rules;

(3) Deleting provisions related to precipitation, surface water, and groundwater that has come into contact with yard trimmings or the resultant product;

(4) Inserting language that requires artisan composters to maintain records;

(5) Clarifying the definition of "artisan scale" by specifying non-pathogenic organic materials; and

(6) 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 Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2532, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2532, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair