STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1811

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1511

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1511, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WATER RESOURCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to support the work of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply in monitoring the safety and quality of Oahu's drinking water.

More specifically, the measure appropriates funds as a grant‑in-aid to the Honolulu Board of Water Supply to:

(1) Plan, design, and construct seven monitoring wells on Oahu after consultation with the Department of Health and Commission on Water Resource Management; and

(2) Design and construct an exploratory well to meet future potable water requirements for the Oahu metropolitan area.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Ulupono Initiative, Sierra Club of Hawaii, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that multiple recent releases of fuel and other chemicals from the United States Department of the Navy's Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility have negatively impacted the environment and the safety of drinking water flowing to military residences. A Department of Health analysis showed that the fuel contamination could travel away from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility toward different geological locations and existing Honolulu Board of Water Supply wells.  Further, the lack of data collected by the Navy's sparse monitoring well network hinders an adequate evaluation of the possibility that fuel releases from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility could migrate to and thus impact critical drinking water receptors, such as the Halawa shaft and Aiea and Halawa wells of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. Accordingly, the financial support provided by this measure will aid the Board in evaluating and addressing these significant threats to Oahu's precious drinking water supply.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language providing that no moneys appropriated by the measure shall be expended unless matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis by the City and County of Honolulu; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1511, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1511, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair