STAND. COM. REP. NO. 408-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1840

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water & Land and Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1840 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to support long-term water quality monitoring and pollution source detection.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; one member of the Maui County Council; Lāhainā Strong; Green Party Hawaiʻi; Resources Legacy Fund; and numerous individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals.

Your Committees find that conducting nearshore coastal water quality testing and contaminant testing is necessary to monitor the long-term impacts and risks of wildfires to the ecosystem, community, and environment.

Your Committees have amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committees respectfully request your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of:

(1) $140,000 for regular ongoing chemical and physical coastal water quality testing and storm sampling;

(2) $450,000 to support characterizing organic compounds, fish and invertebrate contaminants, and in-water and sediment contaminants, and autosamplers to measure carbonate chemistry;

(3) $58,000 for one full-time equivalent aquatic biologist III position; and

(4) $63,000 for one full-time equivalent aquatic biologist IV position.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water & Land and Energy & Environmental Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1840, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1840, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair