STAND. COM. REP. NO.  825-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2626

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2626, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CESSPOOLS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to determine the appropriate long-term solution for converting cesspools to other waste disposal options by:

 

     (1)  Requiring and appropriating funds for the Department of Health to hire a third-party consultant to conduct a study on the issues relating to the upgrade or conversion of cesspools which includes the development of a long-range comprehensive plan for statewide conversion of all cesspools by 2050, and to submit the study to the Legislature by December 31, 2019; and

 

     (2)  Establishing the Cesspool Conversion Working Group to assist the third-party consultant in conducting the study and to submit separate reports to the Legislature.

 

     The Councilmember representing District 9 of the Hawaii County Council, Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference, Envirocycle Cesspool Replacement System for Hawaii, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Oahu Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142, and a few concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Health, Department of Environmental Services of the City and County of Honolulu, Department of Environmental Management of the County of Hawaii, Coral Reel Alliance, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and a concerned individual provided comments.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2626, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair