Pursuant to Chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, notice is hereby given that the State of Hawaii, Department of Transportation, Airports Division, will hold public hearings to consider the following proposed changes to the Chapter 19-14, “Public Conduct at Public Airports”, Hawaii Administrative Rules.
a. Section 19-14-3(b)(1) will be amended by adding a new subparagraph (D) to read as follows:
“(1) No person shall enter any airport terminal building, or any operational or restricted area of any public airport with any animal or reptile, except:
(A) A service animal being used by a person with a disability;
(B) An animal or reptile properly confined for shipment with or by an air carrier, provided the animal or reptile is authorized by law to be in the State; [and]
(C) Any animals, accompanied by properly authorized law enforcement personnel, specially trained for emergencies such as aircraft, vehicle or vessel disasters or for use in law enforcement such as the discovery of drugs and other contraband [.]; and
(D) Any animals, accompanied by properly authorized and trained personnel conducting wildlife hazard abatement operations, as approved by the director.”
This proposed rule change will allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, to use
trained dogs in wildlife hazard management activities on our public airports. Wildlife Services plans to conduct a study which will assess the efficacy of using trained dogs to decrease the number of birds on our airfields. The study is scheduled to be conducted from October 2009 to September 2011.
Birds can be a serious hazard to aviation. A bird or flock of birds suddenly emerging from a runway or surrounding area may collide with incoming or departing aircraft. This type of collision is commonly referred to as a “bird strike”. A bird strike may cause the aircraft to crash and possibly result in the loss of human life.
Although most bird strikes do not result in crashes, they can cause expensive structural and mechanical damage to aircraft. The force generated by bird impact with a fast-moving aircraft is tremendous. The newer turbine engines use light-weight, high-speed mechanical parts which are vulnerable to bird strike damage.
This proposed rule change will help reduce the number of birds on our airfields and thereby decrease the likelihood of bird strikes.
b. Section 19-14-4(b)(1) will be amended to read as follows:
“(1) Unauthorized entry by persons or vehicles onto any restricted or operational area of a public airport through access gates or other openings situated on areas leased to or controlled by the airport tenant;….”
This housekeeping rule change is required to correct a typographical error.
The public hearings will be held as follows:
DATE TIME PLACE
Feb. 10, 2009 9:00 a.m. Airport Conference Center
Interisland Terminal,
Seventh Floor
Honolulu International
Airport
Honolulu, Oahu

Feb. 10, 2009 3:00 p.m. Airport Mezzanine
Conference Room
South Terminal,
Third Floor
Lihue Airport
Lihue, Kauai

Feb. 11, 2009 9:30 a.m. Airport Conference Room
Kahului Airport
Kahului, Maui

Feb. 11, 2009 3:00 p.m. Airport Conference Room
Kona International
Airport at Keahole
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Interested persons are invited to present their views on the proposed rules at the public hearings. Written comments will be accepted until February 18, 2009, at the following address:

State of Hawaii
Department of Transportation
Airports Division
400 Rodgers Blvd., Suite 700
Honolulu, Hawaii 96819-1880

A copy of the proposed rules may be requested by calling 838-8704, or by writing to the above address. Upon receiving such a request, a copy will be mailed at no cost to the requester. Copies may also be obtained or reviewed at the airport manager’s office at Honolulu International, Kahului, Kona International at Keahole and Lihue airports, from Monday through Friday (except state holidays), between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The proposed rules may also be viewed online at http://hawaii.gov/dot/airports/library/admin-rules.
Persons with disabilities requiring special assistance should call 838-8704 at least seven days before the hearing.