STAND. COM. REP. NO.  667-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2298

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2298 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to require, for any proposed action involving construction for which an environmental impact statement has been accepted by an agency but for which construction has not commenced within five years of acceptance of the statement, the developer of the construction project to exercise due diligence with respect to any changes in the community where the project is planned and hold community discussion and feedback sessions to share relevant and new information surrounding the project.

 

     The Cuddle Party supported this measure.  Life of the Land, Americans for Democratic Action, Building Industry Association of Hawaii, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, and an individual opposed this measure.  The Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation, and Office of Environmental Quality Control provided comments.  

 

     Your Committees respectfully request that the Office of Environmental Quality Control and stakeholders of this measure continue to engage in conversation to resolve the issues that this measure addresses.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by changing its effective date to January 28, 2045, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2298, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2298, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land,

 

 

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair