Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, August 9, 2022
EPA fine leads to Hawaii DLNR acting on illegal cesspools
By News Release @ 4:22 AM :: 1259 Views :: Environment

EPA fine leads to Hawaii DLNR acting on illegal cesspools

Largest land manager in Hawaii will evaluate its 1.3 million acres of property

News Release from US EPA, August 8, 2022

HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken an enforcement action on Kauai to close an illegal large capacity cesspool (LCC) and collect $105,543 in fines from the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).

As part of the settlement, DLNR has agreed to perform an audit to evaluate whether there are LCCs present on any of its 1.3 million acres of property. EPA banned LCCs in 2005 under the Safe Drinking Water Act because they have the potential to pollute water resources.

“The audit by DLNR, the largest land manager in Hawai‘i, represents a significant step toward EPA’s goal of closing all unlawful, pollution-causing large capacity cesspools in Hawai‘i,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. "This audit will safeguard public health and protect groundwater by helping DLNR address remaining illegal cesspools."

On Kauai, EPA’s inspectors found that the cesspool serving restrooms at the Kamokila Hawaiian Village met the criteria of an unlawful LCC. As a result of this enforcement action, DLNR has now properly closed this cesspool.

As required by the settlement agreement, DLNR will also confirm that all its managed or controlled properties are connected to sanitary sewer systems or otherwise operate compliant wastewater systems. This effort furthers EPA’s goal of protecting groundwater and public health by closing LCCs in Hawai‘i while incentivizing disclosure of additional potentially polluting large cesspools.

Since the 2005 LCC ban, more than 3,600 large cesspools in Hawai‘i have been closed; however, approximately 1,400 remain in operation. Cesspools are used more widely in Hawai‘i than in any other state. They collect and release untreated raw sewage into the ground, where disease-causing pathogens and harmful chemicals can contaminate groundwater. Groundwater provides 95% of all local water supply in Hawai‘i.

For more information on the large-capacity cesspool ban and definition of a large-capacity cesspool, please visit EPA's Cesspools in Hawai‘i webpage.

For more information on this agreement visit EPA’s Proposed Settlement webpage.

---30---

CB: EPA Fines State Agency For Illegal Kauai Cesspool  

SA: DLNR agrees to audit of all large-capacity cesspools, $105,000 fine

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT