SB2756 Summary

• Waives the requirement for section 401 water quality certification under the Clean Water Act for applicants receiving authorization from the Department of Land and Natural Resources' small scale beach restoration program.

• Adds new section 342D-6(i) to Hawaii Revised Statutes exempting small scale beach restoration projects from water quality certification requirements when approved by DLNR's office of conservation and coastal lands.

• Addresses burdensome permit requirements that discourage beach restoration projects by streamlining the certification process for ecosystem-based management approaches including beach nourishment and sediment management.

• Responds to Hawaii's coastal erosion crisis, with 70 percent of Hawaii's beaches eroding and over 13 miles of beach lost over the past century, to enable more efficient restoration efforts.

• Takes effect upon approval and maintains state environmental controls on water pollution through DLNR's programmatic conservation district use permits and permit conditions.