HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
172 |
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
URGING THE COUNTIES TO AMEND THEIR LAND USE ORDINANCES TO INCLUDE REGULATIONS TO REDUCE STORM WATER RUNOFF ON ALL NEW BUILDINGS AND RENOVATIONS.
WHEREAS, storm water runoff accumulates debris, chemicals, sediments, and other pollutants that adversely affect water quality and negatively impact coral reefs; and
WHEREAS, storm water runoff is generated when rainwater flows over impervious surfaces, such as driveways, streets, and parking lots, and does not percolate into the ground; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Health's Clean Water Branch has initiated a Polluted Runoff Control Program; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation has implemented storm water management programs on Oahu and Maui to educate and encourage the public to take steps to minimize storm water runoff generated around their homes; and
WHEREAS, many counties have also developed rules and best management practices to reduce runoff pollution generated during the process of construction, but there are no regulations yet addressing stormwater runoff after construction; and
WHEREAS, a group of students known as the Trench Troopers at Holomua Elementary School have won multiple awards and accolades for their proposal to require driveway stormwater trenches in all newly constructed residential developments in the State of Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, incorporating low impact development techniques into architectural designs such as trenches, infiltration beds, swales, pervious concrete, and basins into the development of new and renovated buildings can greatly reduce storm water runoff and water pollution for years after construction; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, that the counties are urged to amend their land use ordinances to mandate that all new buildings and renovations incorporate low impact development storm water design methods such as trenches, infiltration beds, swales, pervious concrete, and basins that allow water to collect and soak into the ground on site rather than flow over paved surfaces; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the counties are further urged to implement best management practices to reduce storm water runoff for all county buildings, and construct storm water trenches on all new and renovated county buildings; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the mayors of the counties of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai and the City and County of Honolulu and the members of the County Council of each county.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Storm water runoff; new construction.