Protecting the state’s water resources and imposing fees on plastic bags are already gaining attention from lawmakers and environmental groups this session. They top the list of must-watch bills as the Legislature got under way last week. Agitated astronomers are
Protecting the state’s water resources and imposing fees on plastic bags are already gaining attention from lawmakers and environmental groups this session. They top the list of must-watch bills as the Legislature got under way last week.
Agitated astronomers are pushing the state to reduce light pollution that’s disrupting their studies atop Haleakala on Maui.
And the Neighbor Island counties are promoting a statewide ban on catching fish for the aquarium trade.
The controversial Public Land Development Corp. (PLDC) may also face attempts to amend it this session. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs will be pushing to be added to the PLDC board.
Here’s a line-up of bills to track:
Watershed Protection (bill pending introduction): The Department of Land and Natural Resources has been working with lawmakers on legislation to protect the state’s watersheds.
The department warns that invasive species and animals such as pigs and goats are eroding the state’s native forests and leading to a decline in the state’s water resources. Limited vegetation can also lead to runoff that destroys reefs, and a lack of fresh water entering the ocean disrupts areas where fish spawn.
The legislation is expected to gain traction this session, with Gov. Neil Abercrombie signaling his support by allocating $5 million for mitigation measures in this year’s budget.
However, the department estimates it needs $11 million annually, and lawmakers still need to approve the governor’s allocation. DLNR and its supporters are looking to a proposed fee on plastic and paper bags for additional funding.
Single Use Bag Fees — Senate Bill 1363 and House Bill 1828: A fee on plastic bags never made it through the Legislature last session, but its supporters are gearing up for a renewed fight.
A new bill will likely be proposed that’s tied to funding for watershed protection, according to Robert Harris, director of the Hawaii Sierra Club. And the bill is expected to include a fee on paper bags as well. Retailers have complained about the added cost of switching to paper.
“It’s such a common sense thing,” said Sen. Mike Gabbard, chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment, who sponsored the plastic bag legislation last session. He called it “one of those feel good kind of bills.”
Light Pollution —Senate Bill 1493: City lights are disrupting the work of scientists atop Haleakala and disorienting birds and sea turtles, according to the Starlight Reserve Committee, a group of scientists and government officials who have been meeting for months to address the issue.
Last year, they proposed legislation requiring that all new outdoor lighting and replacement lighting have shields to block light from shining upward. The statewide bill would have applied to state, county and private lighting. While it passed the Senate and House, Abercrombie vetoed it, citing a lack of funding and implementation plan.
This year, a scaled back version is expected to be introduced that only applies to state facilities.
Landfill Reduction — Senate Bill 725: A bill to reduce the amount of waste entering Hawaii’s landfills and to promote recycling will be debated again this year.
Currently the Department of Health receives 35 cents per ton of waste entering landfills. Charges would be increased to $1.25 per ton of waste entering local landfills or being shipped out of state. The charge would be set at 60 cents a ton for waste being sent to H-Power, which burns the trash to produce electricity.
The tiered structure rewards recycling and waste-to-energy, while penalizing those that dump trash in the landfills.
Public Land Development Corp. — (bill pending introduction): Last year the Legislature passed a law that fast tracks the development of state lands via public-private partnerships. One purpose of the law is to shore up the budget of the Department of Land and Natural Resources by leasing lands under its control.
It’s attracted its share of criticism from environmental groups, and raised concerns at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. OHA is proposing legislation that gives a representative from its office a seat on the PLDC board.
Aquarium Trade — (bills pending introduction) There will be a renewed push to implement a ban on catching fish for the aquarium trade.
Both Kaua‘i and the Big Island passed resolutions last year urging a statewide ban on the practice.
The county measures were non-binding, but will become bills to be debated in the Legislature this session.
Other bills to watch this session include Senate Bill 699. A holdover from last session, it will be fast-tracked this year.
The bill seeks to shore up funding for the Office of Environmental Quality Control by implementing fees for environmental assessments and environmental impact statements.
Gabbard is also working on legislation that would allow developers to bypass the generally less comprehensive environmental assessment stage and go straight to the environmental impact statement, which usually includes much of the information that winds up in an EIS.
The senator said the proposed bill would apply to large projects such as the Honolulu Rail Project.
“Why do an environmental assessment for $10,000 to $50,000, when you know you have to do an EIS?” said Gabbard.
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