House Energy & Environmental Protection committee adopts climate public-health resolution, approves demolition-waste working group; defers several water, bay, &

HONOLULU — The House Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection voted March 20 to pass H.R.182/H.C.R.188, a resolution declaring a public-health emergency related to climate change, and to pass H.R.184/H.C.R.190 with amendments expanding a demolition waste reduction working group. The committee deferred several other measures, including a study on a state-certified drinking-water testing lab, incentives for PFAS and residuals testing at wastewater plants, and a working group proposal for Pokai Bay.

The climate resolution (H.R.182/H.C.R.188) won the committee’s approval on a voice vote after committee members said it would direct statewide coordination across agencies. James McCallan, director of community preparedness and resilience at the Hawaii Public Health Institute, testified in support and told the committee, “This resolution doesn't change the statute, but it sends a powerful message that we're ready to take collective action.” He urged cross-agency planning because climate impacts — from wildfires to vector-borne disease — affect public health beyond any single department.

Committee members approved an amended H.R.184/H.C.R.190 to convene a demolition waste reduction working group and expanded membership to include the Department of Education, the Department of Transportation and the University of Hawaii system. The committee recorded the chair and vice chair voting aye along with Representative Kahaloha and Representative Kun; Representatives Quinlan and Ward were excused. The amendment passed with the committee noting the expanded membership during the vote.

Lawmakers also advanced S.B.1501 (as S.C.2) relating to “step-in” agreements for energy projects, adopting multiple technical amendments intended to protect the state's fiscal exposure. Committee discussion summarized the changes: the measure clarifies the state’s full faith-and-credit is not pledged for step-in agreements; limits judicial remedies against the state to enforcement of the agreement; directs that administrative costs be borne by the utility rather than the state or ratepayers; requires refunding unused collected revenues on termination; and restricts access to reserve-account funds by utilities. The committee voted to pass S.B.1501 as amended.

Several measures were deferred for further consideration. H.R.18/H.C.R.18, which requests a study on the feasibility of establishing an environmental-protection agency–certified laboratory in Hawaii for testing drinking water samples for emerging contaminants, was deferred after members noted the Legislative Reference Bureau may not be equipped to conduct the requested study and that the Department of Health’s Safe Drinking Water Branch has newly acquired testing equipment that could advance some testing needs.

Community testimony on H.R.42, which would form a working group for environmental concerns at Pokai Bay, urged immediate action and cited existing funding. A community speaker, identified in committee records as Shelby Pikachu (Ohana Unity Party / Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands), told lawmakers, “DLNR already approved for $5,000,000 for a restoration…there's, like, a million dollars, I believe, for the RFP to go out,” and urged the committee to coordinate city and state partners. Committee members said the working-group membership appeared incomplete and recommended deferral.

H.R.183/H.C.R.189, which would urge the Department of Health and the University of Hawaii Water Resources Research Center to incentivize wastewater treatment plants to test sewage sludge, reclaimed water and other residuals for PFAS and similar compounds, was deferred after staff and the department’s written comments said testing would be costly, require appropriation and that a zero-tolerance permitting approach is not feasible without further analysis.

The committee also heard a two-person slate of public testimony in support of the climate resolution: David Molineux of Greenpeace Hawaii said the declaration provides a tool to spur downstream legal and regulatory actions, adding, “once you say the house is on fire, you have to act.”

No further business was reported; the committee adjourned after completing decision making for the day. Deferred measures were left open for reconsideration at a later date or next session.