Bill > SB538

This bill addresses the disposal and potential reuse of municipal waste combustor ash, which contains hazardous substances that can pose risks to human health and the environment. The legislation mandates that fly ash, bottom ash, or combined ash from municipal waste combustors must be disposed of exclusively in lined municipal solid waste or hazardous waste landfills. The bill prohibits the use of such ash as alternative daily cover material, in roadbuilding, or for any other construction purposes. The legislature's rationale is that current regulations are based on limited short-term laboratory tests that do not adequately assess the long-term environmental and health risks associated with ash disposal. By restricting the disposal and reuse of municipal waste combustor ash, the bill aims to prevent potential exposure to toxic metals like lead and cadmium through pathways such as inhalation or ingestion, and to prevent scenarios where eroding roadways could essentially become unlined landfills. The new requirements will take effect immediately upon the bill's approval, and violations will be considered separate offenses for each day of non-compliance.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=538&year=2026