REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY-CERTIFIED LABORATORY IN HAWAII TO TEST DRINKING WATER SAMPLES FOR TOXIC CHEMICALS AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS.

HCR 18 requests a study to determine if Hawaii can establish an EPA-certified laboratory for testing drinking water locally. Currently, Hawaii lacks such a facility, requiring samples to be sent to California for testing, which causes delays (up to a week), risks sample spoilage during transport, and creates vulnerabilities during emergencies like the 2021 Red Hill water crisis. The study would examine costs for creating a new lab or upgrading the existing Department of Health lab in Pearl City, including initial setup, annual operations, organizational structures, and potential hosting entities. It aims to assess whether local testing could improve response times for contaminants like petroleum hydrocarbons and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), with findings due to the Legislature by early 2026.