2018-01-29 Letter to Mike Gabbard re SB 2567 - Cesspool Conversion when Property is Sold

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iFlarry Kim itiayor Crattfij ffirr o Wil Okabe Managing Direc tor Barbara J. Kossow Deputy Managing I )ffector 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 • (808) 961-8211 • Fax (808) 961-6553 KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy.„ Bldg 0 • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 (808) 323-4444 • Fax (808) 323-4440 January 29, 2018 Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair Committee on Agriculture and Environment Hawaii State Capitol', Room 224 Honolulu, HI 96813 Dear Chair Gabbard and Committee Members: Re: SB 2567 Requiring cesspool conversion when a property is sold Hearing Date: 01/31/18 — 1:15 pm; Conference Room 224 At a fime when ome ownership, or perhaps any housing, is financially out of reach for many in Hawaii, 1 would urge the Legislature to avoid imposing new obligations that could boost the price of our housing stock. Therefore, 1 would urge a "No vote on 5: 2567. The "no" position is further justified, in my opinion, by the fact that there is ongoing controversy concerning what individual wastewater systems (MS) are appropriate for a cesspool replacement. It is clear that encouraging homeowners to connect to sewers can occur only where there are sewers. With the County of Hawaii's (C01-1) large land area, coul led with the nature of its substrate (lava), sewering the COH is not a financially viable option. This fact akes the identification and availability of appropriate IWS of paraL ount importance for the future of this program. The most cost effective, rDOH approved, alternative to cesspools in Hawaii is a Septic System. equiring the replacement of one ineffective IWS (cesspools) with a different IWS that is not effective (septic tanks) will result in a doubly negative economic impact on the citizens of this state because the only realistic replacement system (septic tanks) does not improve our environment. This topic was discussed when the Hawaii Department of Health (HD01-1) presented the cesspool report to the Energy and Environment Committee in Honolulu on January 10, 2018. The fact that septic systems do not remove nutrients from the waste stream, a critical proolem where coral and ocean waters require protection, constitutes one major issue with septic system replacements for cesspools. A separate issue is that having S: 2567 become effective on December 31, 2018 does not provide either HDOH or an existing homeowner time to adequately prepare for this new requirement. The process of establishing administrative rules for exemptions or to establish financial aid legislation or rules within the next 8 months is County of 1 lawai'i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.