STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1755

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.R. No. 212

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.R. No. 212 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING EACH COUNTY TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATED WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN AND FINANCIAL STRATEGY TO UPGRADE OR CONVERT CESSPOOLS LOCATED WITHIN ITS RESPECTIVE JURISDICTION BY 2050,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request each county to develop a comprehensive integrated wastewater management plan and financial strategy to upgrade, convert, or connect cesspools located within its respective jurisdiction by 2050.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Reef and Ocean Coalition. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the State has approximately eighty-three thousand cesspools that release more than fifty million gallons of raw sewage into the State's groundwater and surface waters every day. While the State established a requirement for the upgrade, conversion, or connection of all cesspools in the State by 2050, coordination among various stakeholders and governmental agencies is critical. This measure requests the counties to develop a comprehensive plan and financial strategy to ensure that the counties' infrastructure allows for easy upgrade, conversion, or connection of cesspools to sewer systems.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its title to make technical amendments; and

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

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 212, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 212, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair