Hawaiian Waters Chemical Munitions Safety Act of 2006

H.R. 4778, the Hawaiian Waters Chemical Munitions Safety Act of 2006, would require the Department of the Army to locate and map all underwater sites in Hawaii where the military disposed of chemical weapons between 1941 and 1972. The bill directs officials to update nautical charts to warn commercial and recreational vessels of these hazards and establishes a monitoring system to track the potential release of toxic chemicals into the ocean. Additionally, the legislation funds research into the long-term environmental and public health risks of these munitions and requires a report to Congress on the costs and safety of cleaning up the sites.