THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

205

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING consideration of THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION DIVERSION DEPOSIT PROGRAM.

 

WHEREAS, as a result of current construction practices that call for the demolition of existing urban structures in order to construct new structures, a major portion of all solid waste that is deposited at landfills is comprised of construction and demolition debris; and

WHEREAS, it is anticipated that the proposed massive undertaking of improving and upgrading military housing will result in substantial demolition of existing structures; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that nine thousand structures are to be demolished within five years, or at an estimated rate of five structures a day; and

WHEREAS, much of this debris can and should be recycled and reused, thereby relieving the landfills of unnecessary solid waste and extending the useful life of the existing landfills; and

WHEREAS, certain mainland municipalities have implemented programs to encourage the recycling of construction and demolition solid waste by requiring a diversion deposit to encourage recycling of this solid waste; and

WHEREAS, such a diversion program could require any person that applies for a building permit to remit a deposit with the application for the building permit that would be refunded upon satisfactory proof of a successful diversion from a landfill of an agreed upon percentage of the construction and demolition solid waste generated by the project requiring the building permit; and

WHEREAS, a construction and demolition diversion deposit program could have a major impact on the reduction of construction and demolition solid waste finding its way into our landfills and illegal dump sites; and

WHEREAS, any person who is in the business of storing, treating, processing, recycling, transferring, or disposing of solid waste requires a solid waste management system permit; and

WHEREAS, many of these construction and demolition operators are having a difficult time obtaining solid waste management system permits from the Department of Health in a timely manner; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health allows only a limited number of permits for operators of solid waste management systems; and

WHEREAS, unless experienced construction and demolition operators are properly permitted in a timely manner, there may not be sufficient trained and experienced operators to assist in the processing, recycling, transferring, and disposal of the demolition material anticipated by the military housing projects, let alone other construction and demolition projects in the State; and

WHEREAS, the permit process put in place by the Department of Health must be upgraded to reflect the current state waste management policy to reduce, recycle, and reuse material that would otherwise be disposed in our landfills; and

WHEREAS, the General Contractors Association of Hawaii has expressed concern about this situation, especially in light of the impending flood of solid waste from the anticipated military housing project; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Director of Health is requested to establish a task force comprised of representatives of the General Contractors Association of Hawaii, the county Departments of Public Works or other county agencies with responsibility for solid waste management, the county Departments of Planning or other county agencies responsible for the issuance of building permits, and permitted operators by the Department of Health of solid waste management systems to consider the implementation of a construction and demolition diversion deposit program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to consider the following:

(1) The requirement of a construction and demolition diversion deposit program;

(2) A determination of acceptable methods of diversion of construction and demolition solid waste;

(3) The availability of processors of acceptable methods of diversion in the State;

(4) A determination of the method for setting the deposit amount;

(5) A determination of an acceptable percentage of successful diversion warranting a refund of all or part of the deposit;

(6) Any other factors that will result in a successful construction and demolition diversion deposit program; and

(7) The impediments that applicants for solid waste management systems permits are facing and methods of expediting the process for obtaining a permit to operate a solid waste management system; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health is requested to report to the Legislature on the findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, of the task force not less than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to: the Director of Health who in turn is requested to transmit copies to permitted operators by the Department of Health of solid waste management systems; the General Contractors Association of Hawaii; and the Mayor and Council Chairperson of each county for transmittal to the director of the county departments responsible for solid waste management and the issuing of building permits.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Construction and Demolition Diversion Deposit Program