Bill Text: HI SR143 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging The Department Of Health To Complete The Total Maximum Daily Load Process For Kaelepulu Watershed In Kailua, Oahu.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-04-04 - Report and Resolution Adopted. [SR143 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2019-SR143-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	143
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO COMPLETE THE TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD PROCESS FOR KA‘ELEPULU WATERSHED IN KAILUA, OAHU.

 

 

     WHEREAS, Ka‘elepulu watershed in Kailua, O‘ahu, covers approximately 3,450 acres from Mount Olomana through Ka‘elepulu pond, Kailua beach, and into Kailua bay; and

 

     WHEREAS, Ka‘elepulu watershed is identified as a watershed priority by the federal Environmental Protection Agency; and

 

     WHEREAS, the federal Clean Water Act requires states to submit a list of waters that do not attain applicable water quality standards and provide a priority ranking of impaired waters for Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) development based on the severity of pollution and uses of the water; and

 

     WHEREAS, Ka‘elepulu stream is enumerated on the list of impaired waters in Hawai‘i pursuant to the Clean Water Act, section 303(d), due to turbidity, nutrients, bacteria, and chlorophyll pollution from possible storm water runoff, septic tanks and cesspools, sanitary sewer overflows, domestic and wild animals, and contaminants from lakebed and water column processes; and

 

     WHEREAS, Ka‘elepulu stream was declared a high priority, impaired water body by the Department of Health (Department) in 2004, due to nutrients, turbidity, bacteria, and chlorophyll pollution; and

 

     WHEREAS, Ka‘elepulu watershed was downgraded from a high TMDL development priority to a medium priority in the Department's 2016 State of Hawai‘i Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report (Integrated Report); and

 

     WHEREAS, the Ka‘elepulu watershed, including the Ka‘elepulu stream, Kailua beach, Kailua beach park, Lanikai beach, and Kailua boat ramp, was designated for TMDL development but the TMDL process was never completed; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Ka‘elepulu watershed was assigned a category 5 in the Department's 2016 Integrated Report because new data indicated that applicable water quality standards were not being attained, which resulted in a category change from 3 to 5 due to increased turbidity; and

 

     WHEREAS, Lanikai beach and Kailua beach park were assigned a category 5 because new data indicated that applicable water quality standards were not being attained, which resulted in a category change from 2 to 5 due to increased turbidity and levels of ammonium; and

 

     WHEREAS, the TMDL process has been halted because the Department is unable to find a quality assurance data plan and a sample analysis plan report conducted around 2005 by a consultant; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department has stated that it will not accept any data collected in a preliminary draft of the sample analysis plan report, since the final report cannot be found; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, that the Department of Health is urged to complete the Total Maximum Daily Load process for Ka‘elepulu watershed in Kailua, O‘ahu, by December 31, 2019; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, and Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Department of Health; Ka‘elepulu Watershed; Kailua Waterways; Total Daily Maximum Daily Load