2017-04-26 Environmental Management Commission Minutes

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Director Kucharski stated more than 50,000 of the State's 90,000 cesspools are on this island, many near the coastline. There are private waste treatment systems around Kealakehe. Kailua-Kona is on the County's sewer system. Sometimes there is leakage from the inflow of salt into our County sewer lines (`INI'). The County doesn't have control over some areas, such as the hotels private sewer lines feeding into the County's system. Unless there is a very detailed study, it is difficult to identify the source(s) of contamination. Unfortunately, there is no simple or good answer. To find a diffuse system discharge is difficult. Ocean water quality & beach closures are under the State Department of Health (DOH). The Department of Environmental Management is an operating department, and not a regulatory agency. However, if the County is causing a problem, then the department must address it. Dr. Bennett stated that every discharge needs a NPDES Permit, through the DOH. But the DOH Clean Water Branch/Environmental Division is an abysmal failure. For example, DOH refused to put a sign on the beach where there was contamination. It took a group going to the EPA, then EPA forced the State to put up signs. Tests used by DOH are totally inappropriate, and will not reflect the presence of viruses or staph. DOH rarely ever closes a beach. DOH has to do multiple tests over multiple days & then takes the geometric average. This gives the public a false sense of security. Dr. Bennett wrote a long article, but West Hawaii Today refused to publish it. Perhaps private persons can do private monitoring, such as the Surfrider Foundation. Dr. Bennett offered to do a Powerpoint presentation on this topic, if requested. Mr. Vidgen suggested a County Council resolution requesting the State look into this. • District 1: Ms. Neff reported raw sewage spilled into Hilo Bay in early April, so the Businessmen's canoe race was cancelled. From Puhi Bay through Kaipalaoa (in front of Wainaku), the pollution can be smelled one month later. What's happening to the facility where it came from? Director Kucharski reported that this was not an operational error. There is a 10" pipe under Waianuenue Avenue. Upstream is the high school, the jail, and the hospital, which all discharge into this sewer main. The blockage was caused by clothing (jumpsuits, shirts) caught on a chisel that somehow got into the sewer line. There is an old 4" line, whose existence was unknown, which discharged the overflow into the Wailuku River. Our Wastewater Division responded immediately to resolve the situation. The County posted signs, had 13 monitoring stations, and took a water samplings at the time of the spill and daily thereafter. The samplings were sent to DOH on Day 1. On Day 2 half of the beaches were opened. On Day 3 there was no indication of contamination, so the shoreline was opened on Day 4. The