Bill Text: HI SR113 | 2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Urging Hawaii's Congressional Delegation To Take All Actions Necessary And Proper To Cause The United States Congress To Fund The Construction And Commencement Of Operations Of A Laboratory Certified By The United States Environmental Protection Agency To Analyze Environmental Toxins In The State And Publish The Results To The Public.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-04-04 - Report and Resolution Adopted, as amended (SD 1). [SR113 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2024-SR113-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.R. NO. |
113 |
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THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE RESOLUTION
URGING HAWAII'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO TAKE ALL ACTIONS NECESSARY AND PROPER TO CAUSE THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO FUND THE CONSTRUCTION AND COMMENCEMENT OF OPERATIONS OF A LABORATORY CERTIFIED BY THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TO ANALYZE ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS IN THE STATE AND PUBLISH THE RESULTS TO THE PUBLIC.
WHEREAS, for decades, the State has been subjected to environmental degradation caused by multiple entities that have deposited materials that are toxic to human health and the natural environment; and
WHEREAS, the State continues to lack a testing laboratory certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency that is capable of identifying diseases and toxins present in the State's air, water, soil, and biological specimens; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii residents often rely on data relating to environmental toxins that are provided by the very same entities that have caused the toxins to be present in the State's natural environment; and
WHEREAS, the State's ability to evaluate the presence of environmental toxins is often delayed due to the need to send samples to laboratories located in the continental United States and the results from sample analyses may be withheld by the agencies that control the supply of the samples to those laboratories; and
WHEREAS, the presence of environmental toxins caused by pollutants has notably increased, particularly with the rapid expansion of the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or "PFAS", a group of three synthetic organofluorine chemical compounds that have been found to be highly toxic; and
WHEREAS, a laboratory certified by the Environmental Protection Agency should be constructed in the State to address these issues and to facilitate the prompt and transparent disclosure of the results of testing samples taken from the State; and
WHEREAS, the laboratory would need to comply with all applicable standards enumerated in the Clinical Laboratories Improvement Amendments of 1988 (title 42 United States Code section 263a); and
WHEREAS, the present lack of a laboratory certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency negates the State's responsibility to evaluate and, as appropriate, confirm or reject contentions by federal government departments and agencies, including the Department of Defense and United States Environmental Protection Agency; state agencies such as the Department of Health; and other private entities, relating to environmental toxic chemicals such as TPH-D, TPH-O, TPH-G, petroleum constituents, PFAS, PFAS-related substances, and many other toxins found throughout the State's natural environment; and
WHEREAS, the cost of construction of the laboratory is likely in the range of $100,000,000, and the annual operational cost, including staffing, exceeds $200,000; and
WHEREAS, these costs are currently beyond the State's means as it endeavors to respond adequately to the catastrophe of the August 2023 Maui wildfire that destroyed Lahaina and damaged Upper Kula, Pulehu, Kihei, and Kaanapali; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that Hawaii's congressional delegation is urged to take all actions necessary and proper to cause the United States Congress to fund the construction and commencement of operations of a laboratory certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to analyze environmental toxins in the State and publish its results to the public; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor, Department of Health, and other relevant governmental agencies are urged to support the construction and the commencement of operations of the laboratory; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Hawaii's congressional delegation, the Governor, and Director of Health.
DOH; Laboratory; Environmental Toxins; Public Information
