Governor Signs Environmental Bills Into Law

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Despite pausing the 2020 legislative session twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Ige signed nearly 70 new bills passed by our legislature into law. Among them are a small handful of environmental measures, including:

  1. Act 014 - Legalizes the growth of hemp in the State through the United States Department of Agriculture hemp production program. Allows the processing and sale of hemp products in the State through State licensing.

  2. Act 016 (Sierra Club Priority Bill) - Updates our coastal zone management law to protect beaches and coastal ecosystems against the impacts of sea level rise and coastal erosion. Prevents seawalls and other shoreline hardening structures in beach areas, unless a variance is granted, and establishes a 40 foot shoreline setback from coastal development.

  3. Act 023 (Sierra Club Priority Bill) - Bans coal-fired electricity generation in Hawai‘i by 2023, aligning with the planned retirement of the last coal plant in the state. Ensures Hawai‘i’s progress to a 100% clean energy future and mitigates the public health impacts from the disposal of toxic coal ash in the Nānākuli community.

  4. Act 032 - Authorizes the Dept. of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Hawaii Ant Lab, to identify best practices for the treatment of little fire ants. Adds any application that may defeat the best practices for the treatment of little fire ants to the prohibited acts of pesticides.

  5. Act 045 - Establishes a statewide sustainability branch within the Office of Planning. Updates and reaffirms the role of the office to coordinate among state agencies regarding climate change adaptation and sustainability. 

  6. Act 060 - Grants county agencies the right to enter property to investigate agricultural buildings for violations of and compliance with building permit and building code exemption requirements.

  7. Act 061 - Amends the renewable energy technologies income tax credit for utility-scale solar projects. 

  8. Act 073 - Establishes a 1/2 mile buffer zone around landfills to mitigate public health impacts. Prevents waste facilities from being located in land designated for conservation purposes.

Unfortunately, Governor Ige did not change his mind and vetoed HB 1846, a good bill that would have required state government to “lead by example” on carbon reductions by implementing energy and water efficiency measures in state buildings.

We were able to pass two of our top priority bills relating to sea level rise and clean energy, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis continues. Next legislative session we will return to our state Capitol to not only advance our climate change goals, but help Hawai‘i recover from this economic and health crisis in a sustainable and equitable way. Mahalo for your support.