STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3438

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 132

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 132 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO PLAN FOR THE REMEDIATION OF PERFLUOROALKYL AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS) IN THE STATE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request that:

(1) The Office of the Governor convene a Working Group (Working Group) to proactively plan for the remediation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination throughout the State;

(2) The Working Group submit a preliminary report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2025; and

(3) The Working Group submit annual reports of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature before each Regular Session thereafter.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, Americans for Democratic Action, Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that PFAS and related chemicals remain in the environment for long periods of time and that low levels of exposure to PFAS have been linked to major medical conditions. Your Committee notes that, as of August 2023, twenty-five other states have enforced drinking water standards related to PFAS. The establishment of a long-term working group as proposed by this measure would increase publicly available information, and prepare for future regulation, regarding PFAS and other chemical substances.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 132 and recommends its adoption.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair