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r <br />CSCN-4: Streamlined Composting Regulations <br />2020 Measure: SB3121 H This measure seeks to create tiered regulations for composting <br />operations, which will lower the barriers to expanded decentralized composting <br />opportunities across island communities. <br />Compostable organic materials, such as food scraps, paper, and cardboard, <br />comprise the single largest component of the State's waste stream. Removal of this <br />organic material from the waste stream for composting is a highly effective strategy to not <br />only increase the environmental health of our soils, but also to reduce burdens on waste <br />management facilities nearing capacity and ultimately reduce the long term costs of waste <br />management. The State Department of Health's existing regulations for composting <br />facilities have not been updated in over twenty years, and current permitting requirements <br />apply to all composting operations regardless of size or scope. This presents an <br />expensive and unreasonable barrier for small- to mid-size decentralized composting <br />operations who are then forced to operate illegally or close down. Tiered regulations for <br />composting operations of all sizes will greatly increase the number of operators <br />diverting organics from landfills and incinerators, allowing the State and counties <br />to reach their sustainability goals while reducing overall costs of waste <br />management. <br />Additional Priorities for Future Development <br />CSCN-5: Building Energy Benchmarking & Data Transparency <br />2020 Measure: HB1520 // This measure seeks to require energy consumption <br />benchmarking for all nonresidential buildings and disclosure of benchmarking data to <br />prospective buyers, lessees, or lenders. <br />Building energy benchmarking is the process of comparing a facility's energy <br />usage against similar facilities to identify opportunities for energy and cost savings. <br />Hawai`i's buildings offer enormous opportunities for energy savings, yet the potential for <br />savings is not readily apparent through current disclosure and information sharing <br />requirements. Benchmarking nonresidential buildings with regular measurement ' and <br />disclosure will help building owners firstly understand how much energy their properties <br />use and secondly, help identify steps to reduce wasted energy and therefore lower their <br />energy costs. Studies have shown that open data and transparency from a basic <br />benchmarking program reduces energy use by an average of 5% and energy <br />expenditures by 3%, which could mean up to $120,000 in a building's cost savings per <br />year. Improving energy efficiency is the cheapest, quickest, and cleanest way to <br />accelerate Hawai`i's transition to 100 percent renewable energy, and building <br />3 <br />