THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

224

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

CONVENING A JOINT LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING.

 

WHEREAS, an informal Joint Legislative Task Force on Waste Management and Recycling ("Task Force") was convened on October 21, 2003 by members of the Senate, House of Representatives, and County Councils of the State of Hawaii to investigate waste management and recycling practices and issues in the State; and

WHEREAS, the members of the Task Force were Senators Melodie Aduja, Chair, J. Kalani English, Willie C. Espero, Lorraine R. Inouye, Cal Kawamoto, Ron Menor, and Paul Whalen; Representatives Calvin K. Y. Say, Ken Ito, Jon Riki Karamatsu, Hermina M. Morita, Michael Puamamo Kahikina, and Mark Moses; Honolulu Council Members Rod Tam and Michael Gabbard; Hawaii Council Member Joe Reynolds; Kauai Council Member James Kunane Tokioka; and Maui Council Member Michael J. Molina; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force worked in conjunction and in close consultation with many recycling and environmental groups, specifically Carroll Cox, President of EnviroWatch; Mike Leary, President of Island Demo, Inc.; James Banigan, President of Hawaii Metal Recycling; Stephen Swift, President of Resource Recovery; Robert Singlehurst, Vice President, and Scott Komatsu of Grace Pacific Corporation; and Alan Gottlieb of Hawaiian Earth Products; among others, who have assisted the Task Force in its fact finding investigations, informational briefings, public hearings, and site visits; and

WHEREAS, after an initial general survey of the waste management problems, the Task Force focused its efforts on assessing the critical and pressing issues of diminishing landfill capacity, illegal dumping, and underutilized recycling; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force conducted informational and public hearings to solicit governmental, industry, and public input regarding waste management issues; conducted fact-finding site visits to all of the counties in the State; and sought and obtained written responses from governmental agencies regarding current recycling practices; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force found that the State's landfills are nearing capacity and that effective alternatives to disposal must be utilized to achieve a sustainable waste management policy and program for Hawai`i; and

WHEREAS, given the limited space for landfills in the islands and the high cost of land in Hawai`i, including financial, social, and environmental costs, the State must explore the use of waste processing alternatives to disposal, including but not limited to waste combustion, bioconversion, and thermal gasification to minimize the need for additional landfill space; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force found that illegal dumping occurs at epidemic rates across the State with much of the illegally disposed waste being construction and demolition waste, white goods, tires, and green waste; and

WHEREAS, illegal dumping must be addressed by any means available to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of Hawai`i, including tracking of materials that are most likely to be dumped or discarded illegally, greater enforcement of the illegal dumping and litter laws, imposing harsher penalties for illegal dumping violations, and creating incentives for compliance; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force found that recycling in the State is underutilized and the recycling industry lacks sufficient support; and

WHEREAS, the State should reaffirm a waste diversion goal of 50 percent, support the counties in their efforts to implement or update their integrated solid waste management plans to achieve the statewide goals, conduct public awareness and education to encourage recycling, and support the recycling industry using various measures; and

WHEREAS, the Auditor recently issued Report No. 04-01, entitled Audit of the Department of Health's Administration of a Statewide Solid Waste Program and Assessment of Related Land Use Policies, that confirms the Task Force's findings that the State's landfills are nearing capacity and that attaining the State's solid waste management goals will require a great amount of effort and resources; and

WHEREAS, due to limited resources and time constraints, the Task Force was able only to identify the problems and issues concerning waste management and recycling in the State, resulting in a preliminary assessment and analysis of the information gathered to develop appropriate solutions and proposed legislation to address those matters; and

WHEREAS, given the urgent nature of these problems and the dire consequences for the State if the problems are not addressed soon, a formal joint legislative task force on waste management and recycling needs to be convened to carry on and conclude the important work of the initial Task Force; 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 a Joint Legislative Task Force on Waste Management and Recycling be convened to continue the work of the initial Task Force, by further investigating waste management and recycling practices and issues in the State, assessing and analyzing the information gathered from that effort, developing appropriate solutions for identified problems, and proposing legislation to address those matters; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Legislative Task Force on Waste Management and Recycling consist of the same members as appointed by the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, in their respective capacities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Legislative Task Force on Waste Management and Recycling is requested to report its findings and conclusions, together with its recommendations for legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all federal, state, and county agencies are requested to cooperate fully with the joint legislative task force and provide the information and assistance necessary or appropriate to accomplish its objectives; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the mayors of all the counties of the State, the Commander of the United States Pacific Command, the members of the Joint Legislative Task Force on Waste Management and Recycling, and the heads of all federal, state, and county agencies responsible for waste management and recycling matters in the State.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Joint Legislative Task Force on Waste Management & Recycling.