REPORT TITLE:
Environment


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates unspecified sum to Department of Health to test the
soil and water in Village Park in Kunia and surrounding areas to
determine if physical and learning disabilities of children are
caused by the soil and water. (SD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1577
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO HEALTH.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that, as the population of
 
 2 the State grows, housing developments and residential areas are
 
 3 being constructed on former agricultural lands or on locations
 
 4 formerly used by the military.  This situation is certain to
 
 5 increase as agriculture declines and additional lands become
 
 6 available for residential development.  Environmental health
 
 7 hazards in the soil as residue from pesticides or contaminated
 
 8 drinking water can remain undetected until significant clusters
 
 9 of disease or illness are identified.  Secret underground
 
10 military facilities, such as tunnels or bunkers, in which were
 
11 stored arms or chemicals, are also capable of causing
 
12 environmental health hazards.
 
13      The legislature finds that significant clusters of illness
 
14 or disease are not readily identifiable until some commonality
 
15 occurs, such as proximate neighbors comparing notes or children
 
16 of the same age level entering a single neighborhood school being
 
17 enrolled in special education classes.
 
18      The legislature further finds that when a significant
 
19 cluster or increase of illness or disease occurs in a school and
 

 
Page 2                                                     1577
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        


 1 is identified by the faculty, it should be the responsibility of
 
 2 the principal and faculty to report their suspicions to the
 
 3 department of health.  The department of health, working in
 
 4 cooperation with the department of education, should be
 
 5 responsible for the related health services.
 
 6      Of particular concern to the legislature is the Village Park
 
 7 community in Waipahu.  Village Park is a subdivision of
 
 8 approximately 2,000 families who share a common health
 
 9 phenomenon.  Many of the Village Park children have varying
 
10 degrees of disabilities that are more than coincidence.  One out
 
11 of ten children has some physical or learning disability, or
 
12 both, that requires special needs education.  Physical
 
13 disabilities include Downs Syndrome, trisomy 8 and trisomy 18,
 
14 spina bifida, heart abnormalities, leukemia, and respiratory
 
15 ailments.  Learning disabilities include mental retardation,
 
16 hearing, emotional, visual, speech and language, attention
 
17 deficit disorder, hyperactivity, oppositional defiant disorder,
 
18 multiple handicaps, and autism.
 
19      The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the
 
20 department of health to conduct soil and water testing for
 
21 Village Park and surrounding areas.
 
22      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
23 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $        , or so much
 

 
Page 3                                                     1577
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        


 1 thereof as may be necessary, for fiscal year 1999-2000, for the
 
 2 department of health to conduct soil and water testing at Village
 
 3 Park and surrounding areas in Waipahu to determine if the soil
 
 4 and water are a cause of the physical and learning disabilities
 
 5 of children living in Village Park and surrounding areas.  The
 
 6 testing shall be completed by December 15, 1999.
 
 7      SECTION 3.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 8 department of health.
 
 9      SECTION 4.  The department of health shall report its
 
10 findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than
 
11 twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of
 
12 2000.
 
13      SECTION 5.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
14 New statutory material is underscored.
 
15      SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval;
 
16 provided that section 2 shall take effect on July 1, 1999.