STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2947

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2575

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2575 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Prohibit the mining, extraction, and removal of minerals from the seabed in all state marine waters, under certain conditions; and

(2) Prohibit the issuance of any permit for or in connection with the development or operation of any facility or infrastructure associated with the mining, extraction, or removal of minerals from the seabed within state marine waters.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Sustainable Ocean Alliance Hawaiʻi; Parley for the Oceans, Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Youth Climate Coalition; Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund; Mālama Pūpūkea-Waimea; Deep Sea Mining Campaign; Rev Ocean; Friends of Haunama Bay; Marine Conservation Institute; Kauai Women's Caucus; Hawaiʻi's Thousand Friends; Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi, National Parks Conservation Association; Oceanic Preservation Society; Marine Mammal Center; Greenpeace USA; HULIPAC; Te Ipukarea Society; Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory; Surfrider Foundation Hawaiʻi; Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi; FutureSwell; Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Ocean Foundation; For the Fishes; Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition; 350Hawaii.org; The Nature Conservancy; Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action; Greenpeace Hawaii; Chamber of Sustainable Commerce; Blue Climate Initiative – Tetiaroa Society US; and thirty-one individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals.

Your Committee finds that that seabed mining is the antithesis of the Hawaii State Constitution's commitment to safeguard Hawaii's waters for future generations. Your Committee further finds that the mining, extraction, and removal of minerals from the seabed is extremely destructive to ocean ecosystems that are already severely stressed due to rising temperatures, acidification, overfishing, and other effects caused by climate change. Your Committee notes that even though mining companies frequently use renewable energy as a justification to conduct mineral extraction from seabeds, the risks far outweigh any perceived benefit that mining would have on fighting the climate crisis. This measure will ensure the protection of the State's ocean environment from further damage, disruption, and destruction caused by seabed mining.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2575 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair