2007-03-16 TSUNSTONE - Laserfiche WebLink

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GRAHAM:Yes. Mr. Mooers, I think you were here earlier today when we were talking about coastal water quality issues, specifically on the Waikoloa golf course project. The report we got from University of Hawaii, Hilo referred to all West Hawaii, and there are serious water quality concerns. And since Ive been on the Commission for four years, weve had two other studies specifically done for SMA projects: One at the D-Bar Ranch one just down the coast a short ways, and another one was down by Keauhou Bay. And in both of these cases there are nutrient excesses beyond whats specified by the Department of Health; but in neither of these cases did they feel there was any concern about causing the degradation in the ocean. When I look at all the materials that Ive received from you guys and from also the Planning Department the application, the recommendations, the background report I havent seen anything addressing the coastal water quality. There is a lot of paper, so maybe I missed something. But Im concerned in three ways: One way of course is the drainage which well deal with later, another way is all the irrigation on the landscaping works its way into the groundwaterandcomesout,andthethirdwayofcourseisthesewage,andthesewageisgoing to move back to the sewage treatment plant, but then it gets just injected into the ground. So it seems to me like these ways all impact coastal water quality, and I dont feel it has been addressed at all. So I just want to know if you have any comments on that. MOOERS:I appreciate your comment, Commissioner. I do have a fair amount of history with water quality monitoring. My professional training was as a chemist, and I did water quality testing for a period of time on, you know, with schools trying to demonstrate certain chemical principles by doing it. I was also on the Board of Natural Energy Lab for a number of years when we looked at water quality monitoring, and then I worked on two projects with Dick Brock. The biggest problem in trying to assess the impacts in an area like this is that there is an almost infinite number of influences right here. As opposed to the situation like Waikoloa Resort where you have one landowner and essentially one project immediately mauka of the shoreline, in this case you have literally thousands of condominium units and single family residences and residents mauka, in some cases still using cesspools with drainage problems. So that the ability to try to assess what the impact of one particular project is I think virtually impossible. Now that being said, I think that you have to be concerned about what are the impacts or how do you minimize the impacts. And I think you identified the three areas: Groundwater, as far as just normal watering irrigation, rain, essentially how we would deal with the drywells, and then there is the storm event, and finally the sewer. Start with the sewer, okay, we will be fully sewered; all of our projects will be connected to the county sewer line, which will then go to the Kalakeha treatment plant and then the water will be disposed of. I think the assumption is that the Department of Health has control over how the water is, you know, dealt with and what the impacts are. As far as on site our water I think Mr. Bills will certainly address the drainage issues and how that water would be treated. Well actually be reducing the area of the site that will be feeding into the drainageway. Because by developing portions of the site with structures and parking lots and landscaped areas, all of that area of the site will be funneled into drywells to promote, you know -. Well actually probably decrease the amount of water that flows across the site right now by the drywell action. I did read the study that you referred to, and I think one of the things thats important is that there be a program established, standard testing as far as what we are going to be testing the near shore waters for, and the protocols as far as how we do that. And I think if thats something the 21EXHIBIT C