THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

58

THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING the department of education to enforce the prohibition of excessive vehicle idling and to develop safe drop-off and pick-up procedures for hawaii's children.

 

 

     WHEREAS, emissions from motor vehicles are one of the greatest sources of manmade pollution on Earth; and

 

     WHEREAS, an idling vehicle releases harmful chemicals, gases, and particle pollution into the air, contributing to ozone damage, regional haze, and global climate change; and

 

     WHEREAS, every gallon of gas burned produces more than twenty pounds of greenhouse gases; and

 

     WHEREAS, research from the United States Environmental Protection Agency confirms that personal vehicles generate about thirty million tons of carbon dioxide every year; and

 

     WHEREAS, research by the United States Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory confirms that idling for more than ten seconds uses more fuel and emits more carbon dioxide than engine restarting; and

 

     WHEREAS, children are particularly vulnerable to air pollutants because their lungs are still developing, they breathe faster than adults, and due to their height, they are closer to the ground and thus closer to vehicle tailpipes; and

 

     WHEREAS, pollution in exhaust can aggravate asthma and allergies, as well as contribute to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and cancer; and

 

     WHEREAS, higher levels of air pollution have been linked to increased school absences, hospital visits, and even premature deaths; now, therefore,

 

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Education is requested to enforce the state prohibition on excessive idling and to develop pick-up and drop-off procedures that do not endanger the health and well-being of Hawaii's children by exposure to exhaust fumes; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education and Chairperson of the Board of Education.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Excessive Vehicle Idling