STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3247

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1839

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1839, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for long-term monitoring of air quality for certain communities impacted by the August 2023 Maui wildfire and support for research efforts to better understand the environmental concerns linked to urban fires.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, one member of the Maui County Council, Lāhainā Strong, Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, Maui Chamber of Commerce, and seven individuals.

Your Committees find that the devastating impacts from the August 2023 Maui wildfire, including air quality and toxicity, remain largely unknown. Details of the long-term air monitoring for the post-cleanup and disposal stage has not been determined, creating uncertainty regarding the air quality for residents and first responders in the vicinity of Lahaina. Therefore, this measure will allow the Department of Health to expand its air sampling efforts in the communities impacted by the wildfire and better understand the environment concerns to protect the health of the affected individuals.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that a portion of the appropriation shall be allocated for an unspecified number of permanent environmental health specialist IV positions, rather than environmental health specialist I positions;

(2) Clarifying that a portion of the appropriation shall be allocated to expand Olowalu community air sampling efforts, rather than Kula; and

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

Your Committees note that this measure contains an unspecified appropriation amount. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committees respectfully request that it consider inserting appropriation amounts for fiscal year 2024-2025, as follows, pursuant to testimony your Committees received from the Department of Health:

(1) $61,000 to $78,000 for the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent environmental health specialist IV position;

(2) $40,000 for two sensors to be utilized for Olowalu community air sampling efforts; and

(3) $1,300,000 for the expansion of Lahaina community air sampling efforts.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services, Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1839, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1839, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services, Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, and Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair	________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair
	________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair