STAND. COM. REP. NO. 57

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 900

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 900 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BROWNFIELDS CLEANUP REVOLVING LOAN FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to enable the use of funds from the brownfields cleanup revolving loan fund for environmental site assessments and for sub-grants to eligible entities for assessment and cleanup of brownfields sites.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Office of Planning; and Department of Planning and Permitting for the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii brownfields cleanup revolving loan fund may be used for loans and sub-grants to eligible entities for brownfields site assessment activities, sampling, and related activities in addition to cleanup activities, as per a closeout agreement between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State. However, the existing loan fund authority strictly limits use of revolving loan funds to loans and cleanup activities. Expanding the loan fund authority to enable sub-grants for cleanups, environmental site assessments, and related activities will allow for greater use of the grant funds for eligible brownfields projects and facilitate redevelopment of lands that are underutilized due to perceived or real contamination.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying the purpose of the measure in the findings section; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 900, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 900, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Economic Development.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair