The federal court struck down Hawaii's invasive species assessment on air cargo. A copy of the permanent injunction is here. My earlier post on the law can be found here.
In passing the assessment, the Legislature found:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the unchecked spread of invasive species is the single greatest threat to Hawaii's economy, natural environment, and the health and lifestyle of Hawaii's people. Invasive pests can cause millions of dollars in crop losses, the extinction of native species, the destruction of native forests, the spread of diseases, and the quarantine of exported agricultural crops. Island ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to the destructive power of invasive pests. In Guam, the accidental introduction of the brown tree snake has resulted in widespread devastation. Without natural predators or competition for food, brown tree snake populations have grown exponentially, causing mass extinctions of endemic birds. Where there were once bird songs, the silent forests of Guam are now home to as many as fifteen thousand snakes per square mile. Just one new pest like the brown tree snake could forever change the character of the Hawaiian islands. Despite our ongoing efforts to detect and eradicate invasive species, our fragile island ecosystems are constantly at risk from insects, disease-bearing organisms, snakes, weeds, and other invasive pests. The coqui frog, Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell, Miconia calvescens DC., ohia rust, nettle caterpillar, and little fire ant are all present in Hawaii, disrupting the delicate balance of our ecosystems, crowding out native species, and reducing the biodiversity of our islands. Other harmful species like the papaya mealybug, erythrina gall wasp, Asian citrus psyllid, and Varroa mite have the potential to devastate our environment and agriculture if allowed to become widespread in Hawaii and spread unchecked by natural predators. The legislature finds that inspection of freight brought into the state is necessary for the protection of the state's ecosystem.
The purpose of this Act is to increase the scope of the existing inspection, quarantine, and eradication service fee to provide funding for the department of agriculture to conduct inspections of imported freight to prevent the introduction of invasive species, and for the facilities necessary to conduct such inspections. This fee applies only to nonpassenger freight. Accordingly, this fee is not a duty of tonnage for entering Hawaiian waters (United States Constitution Article I, Section 10, Clause 3), nor does this fee violate the prohibition on anti-head taxes on airline passengers (Title 49 United States Code Section 40116).
The legislature also finds that the impact of this fee on interstate commerce and the importation of goods is insignificant and that this Act is consistent with the commerce clause (United States Constitution Article I, Section 8, Clause 3), the export-import clause (United States Constitution Article I, Section 10, Clause 2), and the International Convention for Safe Containers, 1972, as amended.
Comments