HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-03-09 Letter to Donna Mercado Kim, Michelle N. Kidani, Mike Gabbard and Russell E. Ruderman HB 2196, HD1 Relating to Water Quality
County of Hawai‘i
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County of Hawai‘i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.
Roy Takemoto
Managing Director
Harry Kim
Mayor
Barbara J. Kossow
Deputy Managing Director
March 13, 2020
Senator Donna Mercado Kim, Chair
Senator Michelle N. Kidani, Vice Chair
Committee on Higher Education
Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair
Senator Russell E. Ruderman, Vice Chair
Committee on Agriculture and Environment
Dear Chairs Mercado and Gabbard, Vice Chairs Kidani and Ruderman, 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 Hawaiʻi’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,
Harry Kim
MAYOR