State lawmakers advance bill on rise in sea level

Apr. 12—The state Senate Ways and Means Committee salvaged a bill this week that would require state agencies to begin preparing their coastal facilities and infrastructure for the realities of sea level rise. Committee members had previously said they were inclined to shelve the bill amid complaints from department heads that the task is too difficult and would stress existing resources.

, which unanimously passed the Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday, would require the Office of Planning to work with state departments to identify existing and planned facilities that are vulnerable to the increased flooding and more powerful storms that are anticipated with climate change, and assess options such as flood-proofing or relocating buildings and infrastructure inland.

The measure also would require annual progress reports be submitted to the governor, Legislature and coordinating agencies.

Statewide, 6, 500 structures located along shorelines are expected to be damaged or destroyed with 3.2 feet of sea level rise, which could occur by 2060, according to the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation, published in December 2017.

Some of the affected structures include hotels, shopping malls, businesses, schools and homes. The report estimated the value of flooded structures, combined with the value of the 25, 800 acres projected to be flooded, at $19 billion. That figure didn't include utilities, roads, wastewater systems and other public infrastructure that's being threatened. More than 38 miles of major roads are expected to be chronically flooded, such as Kuhio Highway on Kauai, Kamehameha Highway on Oahu and Honoapiilani Highway on Maui.

The planning efforts outlined in HB 243 would encompass only a portion of the coastal structures that are increasingly at risk as Hawaii is faced with accelerated sea level rise in the coming years.

State Rep. David Tarnas, the bill's lead sponsor and chairman of the House Water and Land Committee, said the bill has taken on increased urgency as President Joe Biden pushes his $2 trillion infrastructure, which could help Hawaii with its massive coastal infrastructure problems.

Tarnas (D, Kaupulehu-­Waimea-Halaula ) said that without a state plan addressing infrastructure issues, it will be hard to shepherd federal dollars to these areas of need.

"That is an added motivation for us to pass HB 243, so that we have a well-thought-out plan of critical infrastructure that is going to need significant investments, " he said.

The bill, sponsored by 29 lawmakers, easily passed the House of Representatives last month with the support of the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, which was established by the Legislature in 2017 under to direct policies for adapting to climate change. Act 32 specified that the commission identify areas that will be affected by sea level rise as a first step.

The commission is chaired by Suzanne Case, chairwoman of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Mary Alice Evans, director of Hawaii's Office of Planning. But some of the commission's own members who lead state agencies have pushed back against HB 243, including Phyllis Shimabukuro ­-Geiser, chairwoman of the Board of Agriculture, and Kenneth Hara, adjutant general for the Department of Defense.

It's an odd split for the commission, as well as Gov. David Ige's administration.

Hara told lawmakers that an increase in natural disasters and state emergencies is taxing the department's resources. He said last week it woudn't be feasible to carry out the measure without more money from the Legislature.

The Defense Department's general funds would be decreased by 26.7 % under a House version of the state budget bill, which it is still debating, increasing Hara's concerns.

The departments of Accounting and General Services, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Human Services and the Attorney General also raised concerns about the bill. The latter said it would need more money to carry out the bill's requirements.

"Compliance will require hiring of architects, engineers, coastal geologists, and other experts in relevant areas, " Attorney General Clare Connors wrote in testimony opposing the bill.

Hawaii island Sen. Lorraine Inouye, who chairs the Water and Land Committee and is also a member of the Ways and Means Committee, said she amended the bill this week to place more of the responsibility with the Office of Planning, as opposed to individual agencies, to appease those concerns.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee had previously signaled it intended to defer the bill in favor of a watered-down that doesn't have the force of law. The decision had been largely left up to Ino ­uye.

The bill is expected to be debated in conference committee, the last stage of negotiations between the House and Senate before the legislative session adjourns at the end of the month. The measure could be further amended, die for the year or make it to the governor's office for final decision-­making.