STAND. COM. REP. NO. 766

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 256

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 256 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require an owner or operator of a waste-to-energy facility to comply with certain United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations as they existed on December 31, 2024.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Environmental Services of the City and County of Honolulu; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Climate Protectors Hawaiʻi; Reworld; and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that the State must ensure that environmental standards governing the operations of waste-to-energy facilities are upheld regardless of any potential backsliding on existing emission limits that may be proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that owners or operators of waste-to-energy facilities must comply with certain regulations for emission limitations as they existed on December 31, 2024, unless emission limitations are made more stringent;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 256, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 256, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair