HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-02-21 Letter to Sylvia Luke and Ty J.K. Cullen HB 2196, HD1 Relating to Water Quality v ocRoy Takemoto
•N,h�'... alanaging Director
Harry Kim
Mayor
„..4;4.• Barbara J. Kossow
�rE cs'N►J!=' Deputy Managing Director
County of Hawai` i
Office of the Mayor
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February 21, 2020
Representative Sylvia Luke, Chair
Representative Ty J.K. Cullen, Vice Chair
Committee on Finance
Dear Chair Luke, Vice Chair Cullen, and Committee Members:
RE: HB 2196, HD1 Relating to Water Quality
HB 2196, HD1 calls for research, education, and outreach, with respect to the impact of
cesspools on Hawaii's waters. While I applaud this initiative, I would like to ask for one amendment.
HB 2196, HD1 talks about "conducting a two-year, statewide, systematic outreach plan
focused on providing education and communication about sewage contamination and the need for
statewide conversion of cesspools to protect the coastal and nearshore environment" and "research
on the most cost-effective way to upgrade cesspools in the State." My suggestion is that this
research could be more objective if one of its tasks was to determine whether there was a scientific
basis for forcing the expensive conversion of"all" cesspools.
I realize that present law requires such conversion. But objective research might reveal that
geographic exceptions could be made without impacting waters and coral at all, thereby saving
millions of dollars and a lot of heartache, with no countervailing negative consequences.
Since you are funding research anyway, wouldn't it make sense to be sure that the premise on
which the research is based is scientifically sound?
I hope you will amend HB 2196, HD1 to make this simple but meaningful change.
Alternatively, please include language in your Committee report that says the research may explore
whether the universal requirement for conversion of cesspools should be modified to be truly cost
effective.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully Submitted,
I
Harry Kim
MAYOR
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.