Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Environment

Calling the Joint Committee on Health Human Services, and Agriculture and Environment—1 p.m. calendar. Present with me is my Co-Chair, Senator Gabbard, and members of his committee, who are Senator Richards and Sander Rhodes. Also present is my Vice Chair, Senator of Keynote. This meeting is being streamed live on YouTube.

In the unlikely event that we have to abruptly end the ceiling due to technical difficulties, the Committee will reconvene to discuss any outstanding business on Wednesday, April 2, 1 p.m. in Room 225. For those on Zoom, your audio will be muted and video disabled until shortly before it is your turn to testify.

Each testifier will have one minute to testify. If there's a technical glitch during your time to testify, we may have to move on to the next person due to time constraints. I will be reading a list of individuals who submitted written testimony for each measure. We apologize if the closed captioning does not accurately transcribe the testimony, the names.

If you're interested in reviewing the testimony, please go to the Legislator's website. You will find a link on the status page for the measure. We appreciate your understanding and remind you that the Committee does have your testimony or will review them.

I encourage you to use your time to either add additional comments, or you can stand on your written testimony. Also present with me is Senator DeCoite. So, first up—SCR104/SR85, requesting the Department of Health to form a working group on solid waste management. First up, we have the Department of Health providing comments.

Next, we have Ernest Lau, Board of Water Supply, in support. Thank you very much. Next, we have Mihoko Ito for Reworld, providing comments. Thank you. Next, we have Ted Bowen, Hawaii REAP, and Ocean Coalition and Climate Protector Sabahi, in support. Mike Ewell, Energy Justice Network, in support. Mike Ewell, are you present on Zoom?

Yes, I am sure.

Okay, please proceed.

Okay, thank you Chair and Vice Chair, members of the Committee. I'll be brief. I'll stand on my written comments, but support the amendments from Senator Gabbard, and just ask that one further small change be made—that there be a member of the military who can address issues of military lands being used for a potential landfill.

Also be added to the working group as many other commenters requested Mahalo.

Okay, thank you very much. Next, we have Susan Roberts, Emory Green Party of Hawaii, in support; Laurel Breyer, Climate Action Coalition, in support; Ruth Jordan, Zero Waste Kaua‘i, in support; Alan Burdick, Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, in support; David Hunt, providing comments.

Cap and Fire, in support; Fred Hoffer, in support; Robert Culbertson, in support; Tamara Hayden, in support; Michelle Mitsunori, in support; Buddha Jordan, in support; Tina Marie Cura, in support; Arlene Velasco, in support. Anybody else wishing to testify on SCR104 and SR—excuse me—and SR85? Members, any questions?

And also present with me is Senator Keohokalole. Okay, Members, any questions? Are we ready to proceed with decision making? So, for SCR104/SR85, the Chairs have—and also present with me is Senator Hashimoto—the Chairs have communicated, basically, Chair’s recommendation is to pass with amendments.

We're going to remove lines 28 to 33 on page one, and on page two, lines 1 through 2. On page one, line 1, change the Waimanalo Gulch landfill location to Kapolei, rather than Nanakuli.

Line 24, change a new landfill in Oahu is inherently problematic and is not necessarily the best way our community can reduce and handle the solid waste produced by our Linear extract package, and throwaway economy. On page 235, change it to whatever is there - to be it further resolved that the report is requested to include..

Page two, line 35

On line 35, that's what you sent to me on materials management policies and programs that reduce solid waste and protect the environment, which include the groundwater, air, earth, and air. I'm also going to include and add a list of alternative technologies to address solid waste management of waste that cannot typically be recycled or composted.

That's what defines health market; shouldn't be a problem. Okay. And we're gonna, per SMA request on line seven, page two, instead of "representatives" (plural), change "amended" to "a representative from each of the following." We're also gonna add to the working group Zero Waste USA—a Hawaii-based environmental nonprofit advocating for zero waste priorities.

Who is requested to be invited by the Governor. Add in, also, the reuse industry to be invited by the Governor. The deconstruction industry also to be invited by the Governor. A landfill expert with a specialization in landfill liner leakage, and an expert in unit-based pricing, who is also to be invited by the Governor. Okay.

And a member of the military, also to be invited by the Governor. We're also going to add in a paragraph, per SMA, that the Governor or designee shall convene the initial meeting, within which the Members are to elect a chair, and thereafter the chair shall convene subsequent meetings. Okay. Lots of amendments. Any comments, questions, concerns? Saying none.

Vice Chair for the vote passed with amendments.

Okay. SCR104/SR85—recommendation of the Chair is to pass with amendments. Chair and Vice Chair vote "aye." Senator Hashimoto..

Aye.

Aye

Senator Keohkalole

Senator Fevella is excused. Recommendation is adopted chair.

same recommendation for aen. Any discussion? Chair votes aye. Vice Chair

Thank you. On SR85, SCR104—passing with amendments. Chair votes "aye." Vice Chair votes "aye." Senator DeCoite

Aye

Senator Rhoads

Aye

Senator Fevella is excused, motion is adopted.

Thank you. And with that, we—the joint session—is adjourned. Calling the 101 calendars for Health and Human Services. Same instructions as the 101 for SCR33/SR19, requesting the Tax Review Commission to identify possible means by which the Hawaii Long Term Care Financing Program can be implemented.

First up, we have Carolyn Kadirao, and support from the Executive Office of Aging. Next, we have Melvin Sakurai, also in support. Okay—no one to ask questions of members. Are we prepared for decision-making? Okay—excuse me, are we prepared for decision-making? And for SCR33, SR19, Chair's recommendation is to pass with amendment.

We're going to add to the paragraph on page two, line three: the clause and the findings listed in Financing Long Term Care, a report to the Hawaii State Legislature, Executive Office on Aging, Office of the Governor, July 1991. Any other comments, questions? Vice Chair, for the vote—please proceed. Pass with amendments.

Okay. Voting on STR33SR19 — recommendation of the chairs is to pass with amendments.

[Roll Call]

And with that we are adjourned. Thank you, everyone.

Chair