[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6338510,"mediaKeyId","2270014-71732283423f07f7be14c338ce303f61","parentId",2270014,"title","Committee votes at a glance: outcomes from Feb. 11 House Water & Land hearing","audioSeconds",6399,"startMs",1331000,"endMs",7730000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2270014-71732283423f07f7be14c338ce303f61&start=1331&end=7730","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2270014-71732283423f07f7be14c338ce303f61/thumbnail_1331000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6338510/Hawaii/Committee-votes-at-a-glance-outcomes-from-Feb-11-House-Water-Land-hearing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338510-85716a2197888beff118e30b87ac5021/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141004&Signature=fY7dQTEd1G5UNEceskc~lmxNMdaCZ4BaEJ~ZHsHFjkr-mWq0mSXAeW2LZ~zJBbGK0Mz2sGFQXU-i~xBV1G7WZj34uIP673lHTfcNgwlj2asqvcj~o7GtbvQX0NSD56ESwlbiTTGdpnuLoRDskqke03MXzxreSWpB-IhmotFnrthZjVPIM5yLNlIDt~b7GmLQX1BG13mrYhNI0VySY9miaJl5M7ihdSQG3Cy6NyHVyt2LbxA6-a~eWlyk06s-wQtfZ49xYm3ckPLNc3rUTVRXWni056Snq51hIsKB8f1QtOWr~ZTf-Jcm~rZZ2Y2wpNz-VqDm9FVyH-4JaOxunGkZbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Committee on Water & Land","date","2025-02-08T02:09:28Z","article","The House Committee on Water & Land took final action on a slate of bills during the Feb. 11 hearing. Below are the measures the committee voted to advance and the committee’s recorded disposition as shown in the hearing record.

Votes at a glance

- HB 85 (land conservation): Committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass with amendments (HD1); chair noted technical amendments, a defect date and changes to percent/ceiling language as described on the record. Chair declared the recommendation adopted.

- HB 800 (government): Committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass with amendments (HD1). The record shows two members voted with reservations on the recommendation; the chair’s recommendation was adopted.

- HB 1138 (ocean user safety / HRS 91‑3(b) extension): Committee adopted amendments to extend the current HRS procedural timeframe from 3 months to 1 year and defected the date; two members recorded reservations. The recommendation was adopted.

- HB 1144: Deferred indefinitely from the record.

- HB 969 (wastewater / landfill reuse and related issues): Committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass as is (HD1); the committee moved the measure forward after receiving agency comments and public testimony.

- HB 798: Committee adopted the Department of Health’s proposed amendments; the record shows named no votes (Representative Iwamoto and Representative Shimizu) and reservations (Representatives Belotti and Souza); recommendation adopted.

- HB 879 (cesspool conversions / funding and conversion rules): Committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass as is (HD1); committee recommendation adopted.

- HB 735 (wastewater): Committee adopted the Department of Health’s amendments (HD2) and passed the measure with amendments; recommendation adopted.

- HB 511 (public lands transfers): Committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass with amendments (HD1); recommendation adopted.

- HB 738 (historic preservation): Committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass with amendments (HD1/HD2 referenced); members recorded reservations on funding and staffing concerns; recommendation adopted.

- HB 830 (historic preservation procedure changes): Committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass as is (HD1). Several members recorded reservations citing Historic Hawaii Foundation concerns; recommendation adopted.

- HB 1008 (historic preservation review for state affordable housing): Committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass with amendments (HD2); several members recorded reservations; recommendation adopted.

- HB 734 (individual wastewater systems): Committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass as is; recommendation adopted.

- HB 3379 (environment / coastal protections narrowed to 200 ft): Committee adopted a narrowed scope (to 200 ft from shore) and passed with amendments; one member recorded reservations; recommendation adopted.

- HB 1495 (Keaau/Keahou aquifer monitoring pilot): Committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass as is (HD1); the chair asked finance to note sample well costs; recommendation adopted.

Notes on voting: The transcript records committee adoption of the chair’s recommendation for each listed measure. In several cases the hearing record notes named no votes and members voting with reservations; the committee proceeded to adopt the chair’s recommendations despite those recorded noes/reservations. Where the transcript read a roll call, those names were recorded in the hearing audio record; where only summary statements were read the committee clerk indicated “all members vote aye” with named exceptions where applicable.

Why this matters: The votes advance multiple measures relating to land use, wastewater and historic‑preservation processes; several bills include technical amendments requested by agencies and will proceed for further consideration in the legislative process.

What’s next: Bills that passed out of committee will move to the next committee(s) noted in the record or to the calendar for floor action; where the committee flagged budgetary implications (for example, monitoring wells), the chair asked finance to consider cost estimates.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","WAL/EEP Joint Public Hearing - Tue Feb 11, 2025 @ 10:00 AM HST","oneSentenceSummary","The House Committee on Water & Land voted on multiple bills Feb. 11. The committee adopted the chair’s recommendations on the listed measures; some passed with technical amendments, and several members recorded reservations or no votes on particular items.","taxTitle","House Committee on Water & Land, House of Representatives, Legislative , Hawaii","taxId",25724,"location","Hawaii","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6338515,"Public and health officials press committee over landfill plan and proposed reuse of ash in road-building",3315,3722000,7037000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2270014-71732283423f07f7be14c338ce303f61&start=3722&end=7037","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2270014-71732283423f07f7be14c338ce303f61/thumbnail_3722000.jpg","/articles/6338515/Hawaii/Public-and-health-officials-press-committee-over-landfill-plan-and-proposed-reuse-of-ash-in-road-building","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338515-bf8238f0eb918ba49ed4b929104563af/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141004&Signature=Rdz6Xdshmb7x7utE72Tj8qSdRh4CT58Bbd2xMV5MSS6G0wk9g1VMESH-HAUXBqCIUigX0QV1GH9pFP3yfVx2h6r7gtcmsvP3mNAnaN4lmWQHZ4ctYbUdP18RBQtmfqJqNUEtmpy~70QGpj2h5gUzkNoknIU5NZT9-ExS4WfFL2-ACjrA1kOcQgHt7QosaQAsmtrakNmNn8AoYoqmlbGVH7YpWm6Sd-GLQH--~v8xo4YibvLZH6sJODNBh2vd3w-CgHCEkBLyu4wxI3O2lUV-cdtekPFbdEg1xr-IC002nVAeO8nxDrccVT5SwzEhwc0nRo3ZIPHyawb7xNbnOVk7Og__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A proposal touching landfill siting, wastewater discharge rules and the possible reuse of ash in road materials drew extended testimony from health officials and island residents at the House Committee on Water & Land hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

Supporters and opponents framed the issue as a public‑health and legacy decision. Roger Babcock, representing the City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services, told the committee the city “own[s] and operate[s] the only municipal solid waste landfill on the island and we do need to, have a, new landfill.”

But residents and environmental advocates warned that landfills over or near aquifers will eventually leak. “We oppose landfills above the aquifer anywhere, not just this proposal, because, it will leak eventually,” said Larry Meach, who said about 250 people attended a town hall on the subject. Meach said the city suggested building successive landfills when capacity is exhausted, and he urged the committee to consider alternate locations.

Mike Iwo of Energy Justice Network cautioned against allowing ash from municipal solid‑waste incinerators to be used in road surfaces without liners. “This would create linear unlined landfills in the form of roads everyone drives over risking the workers who put the roads down and everyone who lives near it,” Iwo said, arguing that similar projects elsewhere had failed and that the Legislature should explicitly restrict reuse of ash where it would be spread without containment.

Testimony from other speakers emphasized personal and health concerns. Deborah King said she has long‑term health problems she attributes to contaminated water exposure and urged lawmakers to “really consider no landfills near, clean water.”

The Department of Health, represented at the hearing, stood on its written testimony and answered members’ technical questions about statutory language and permitting. In oral remarks the department noted that federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits regulate point discharges and that bacterial and water‑quality limits are enforced through those permits. Glenn High of the Department of Health said the department “stands on its written testimony providing comments, and I’m available to answer any questions.”

Committee members focused on how current state law treats discharges and treatment plants. During questioning, staff and lawmakers referenced the statutory carve‑outs in HRS discussed in testimony (transcribed as “3 42 d 50.5” and a related provision), and asked whether the bill’s wording would create unintended exceptions for certain facilities. The Department of Health emphasized that the broader water‑pollution control statutes remain in force and that NPDES permits and state water‑quality standards continue to apply.

The exchange reflected two main technical concerns: whether ash considered “safe” for landfill placement can safely be used in asphalt or other unlined road applications, and whether statutory language that mentions treatment plants or an unnamed gallons‑per‑day threshold would create unintentional carve‑outs that permit discharges into state waters.

The committee received written testimony proposing an amendment to prohibit reuse of ash in unlined road applications if the ash is considered unsafe for lined landfills; the amendment was identified on page 15 of the testimony packet by at least one testifier. Testifiers urged the committee to coordinate with the Department of Health and other agencies before approving statutory changes.

The measure discussed in that segment (HB 969, HD1) later received the committee’s recommendation to pass as is. The record shows the committee adopted the chair’s recommendation. The committee heard a mix of government agency comments in favor or with technical comments (Department of Health, Board of Water Supply, City and County Department of Environmental Services) and multiple citizen and advocacy group statements urging stronger limits on landfill siting and on reuse of ash in applications without liners.

Why it matters: Hawaii relies on groundwater in many communities; residents and public‑health advocates told lawmakers that potential leaks from landfills or the uncontrolled reuse of toxic ash pose long‑term risks to drinking water and marine ecosystems.

What’s next: The committee moved HB 969 forward with the chair’s recommendation. Lawmakers and agency staff signaled they will continue discussions on statutory language and any technical amendments; several testifiers and the department urged clearer limits on ash reuse and closer coordination on implementation details.","At the House Committee on Water & Land hearing Feb. 11, public testifiers and state agencies debated a proposal tied to landfill siting and the potential reuse of ash in roadway materials. Testimony flagged risks to groundwater and questioned whether ash-to-asphalt projects are safe or repeatable.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee votes at a glance: outcomes from Feb. 11 House Water & Land hearing

Public and health officials press committee over landfill plan and proposed reuse of ash in road-building