Bill > SR162

This resolution urges the Hawaii Department of Health to ensure the safe management of incinerator ash from waste facilities, specifically addressing concerns about the H-POWER waste incinerator in Oahu, which burns up to 3,000 tons of waste daily and reduces that volume to approximately 30 tons of ash. The resolution highlights that current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) toxicity tests for incinerator ash are inadequate, as they only assess groundwater contamination risks and do not consider potential health hazards from inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. It calls attention to the City and County of Honolulu's plans with Reworld (formerly Covanta) to potentially "recycle" incinerator ash for road construction and other purposes, which could expose workers and the public to toxic materials like dioxins, furans, and heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. The resolution specifically requests that the Department of Health treat incinerator ash as solid waste under state law, warns the City and County of Honolulu against ash "recycling" or "reuse" as potentially harmful and potentially illegal, and directs that copies of the resolution be sent to key state and local officials, including the Governor, Director of Health, and Mayor of Honolulu.

Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SR&billnumber=162&year=2025