HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0732.007 2022-2024 P /Goufci(
Res.yyt--z1
comm.1 2
From: Diane Ware 43
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 8:38 PM
af
To: Council Testimony ,
Subject: Resolution 441-24 r,)
-.
Dear Councilmembers: .�.,.
v �.Y
I urge your support of Resolution 441-24 regarding the negotiated EPA islandwide consent decree. While this is an
administrative consent decree, it has the effect of law. Failure to adopt simply means EPA Region 9 goes into Honolulu
federal district court and it becomes a judicial consent decree where terms might be less favorable for the county and
subsequently residents.
This addresses decades of neglect by the County and violations of federal law impacting our nearshore water quality.
Really awful conditions and represent a violation of the Public Trust Doctrine in our Hawaii Constitution.As I have
become more aware of our generally polluted near shore waters I avoid swimming in them. Do we deserve paradise
polluted or do we deserve better?
The terms of the decree will require the adoption of a wastewater enterprise fund or special fund where new revenues
will be required to provide both sustainable funding for O&M costs to prevent this from happening again as well as the
increased bond capacity required to meet construction work on very tight schedules. Failure to act swiftly exposes
taxpayers to significant penalties..and we will all suffer.
The rehabilitation of sewer collection lines alone will be significant improvement.This will prevent spills and bypasses of
raw sewage but also contamination of nearshore waters and beaches from leaking pipes,an often overlooked source of
pollution. Sealing the pipes using cured in place pipe technology can reduce the costs dramatically and sealed pipes
mean reduced pumping costs, reduce treatment costs, and it keeps harmful saltwater that causes corrosion of pump
stations and the treatment plants themselves. Hilo alone has over 400,000 gpd of infiltration coming in and all the
saltwater ate the equipment there. Fixing the lines is critical to protecting the huge public investment in the treatment
plants and this agreement calls for this to be routinely scheduled going forward and properly staffed.
The agreement requires service areas around existing County facilities to connect homes and get off cesspools. Sewer
improvement districts spread costs out over 20 years and are a much better solution than septic conversions which are a
huge burden on homeowners and really accomplish nothing in protecting the environment. Connecting all these homes
will also create a proper customer base to support these systems. It is basic Economics.
Malama pono,
Diane Ware
808-967-8642
P. O. Box 698
99-7815 Kapoha
Volcano HI 96785
Comm. No •
Ref. To:
Ref. Date ���
1