OPPOSE SB71 to prevent well environmental review exemptions

February 6 update:

SB71 was passed out of the Senate Committees on Water and Land + Agriculture and Environment on 2/3 with amendments.

WAL Sens. Inouye and Chang voted in favor of the bill, Sens. Elefante and McKelvey voted yes with reservations, and Sen. Fevella voted against the bill.

AEN Sens. Gabbard and Richards voted in favor of the bill, Sens. DeCoite and Rhoads voted yes with reservations, and Sen. Awa voted against the bill.

The bill will now move to the Senate Judiciary + Ways and Means committees.

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February 1:

This is another zombie bill that comes back year after year. This year its SB71, in 2022 it was SB2602 and SB1292 in 2021. The bill was heard earlier in the week on Jan 30 but deferred decision making until Friday, February 3. No testimony will be heard on Friday but the committees will vote.

Date, time of hearing with name of committee(s)

Friday, February 3, 1pm in Senate Committees on Water and Land + Agriculture and the Environment 

Bill number + description

SB71 exempts wells on Department of Agriculture lands from environmental review. Hawaiʻi’s Environmental Review laws help to protect Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources from exploitation and degradation. 

Why this bill is bad

SB71 exempts wells on Department of Agriculture lands from environmental review. Hawaiʻi’s Environmental Review laws help to protect Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources from exploitation and degradation. Hawaiʻi’s public trust water resources are also already under strain from climate change, over extraction, diversions, and pollution. Exempting major infrastructure projects, like wells, from our environmental review requirements may result in needless impacts to our natural and cultural resources and associated cultural and recreational activities, by removing public and expert review in project planning and development.