STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1323

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 48

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 48 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS TO COMPLETE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE SHORELINE STABILIZATION PROJECT AT THE PUULOA RANGE TRAINING FACILITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the United States Marine Corps to complete an environmental impact statement for the shoreline stabilization at the Puuloa Range training facility.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from SaveEwaShoreline, Kanehili Cultural Hui, and fourteen individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that studies conducted by the University of Hawaii show that hardening the shoreline of Oahu where there is chronic coastal erosion causes beach narrowing and beach loss. The shoreline stabilization project at the Puuloa Range Training Facility (PRTF) is a plan to harden the shoreline along the makai boundary of the PRTF. The shoreline stabilization at PRTF environmental assessment (2019) released by Marine Corps Base Hawaii does not properly consider potential beach narrowing and beach loss west of PRTF resulting from strong trade wind wave events producing east to west near shore sand transport. This measure urges Marine Corps Base Hawaii to conduct an environmental impact statement to consider potential beach narrowing and beach loss at PRTF.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 48 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

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CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair