STAND. COM. REP. NO. 428

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 834

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 834 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO A BLACK CINDER CONE QUARRY SITE SURVEY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Land and Natural Resources, in collaboration with the County of Hawaii, to conduct site surveys to identify possible locations for black cinder cone quarries on the island of Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System; County of Hawai‘i; Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association; Puna Rock Co., Ltd.; and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the use of state resources for research and selection of new black cinder cone quarry sites can facilitate economic recovery on Hawaii Island by assisting industries that use large quantities of black cinder or that assist in its distribution, including plant nurseries, coffee farms, flower farms, ornamental industry, horticultural industry, landscaping industry, residential and commercial construction, and merchants and wholesalers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the Department of Land and Natural Resources, in collaboration with the County of Hawaii, shall conduct site surveys to identify the most suitable locations, rather than possible locations;

(2) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Should your Committee on Finance hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it insert an appropriation amount of $150,000 for overhead expenses and the procurement of a geologist, mineralogist, or other specialist as a consultant on the project.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 834, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 834, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair