Hawaii Senate Bill SR80

Hawaii 2022 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/11/22
• Refer: 3/16/22
• Report Pass: 4/6/22
• Passed: 4/7/22

Caption

Urging Marine Corps Base Hawaii To Upgrade The Capacity Of Its Sewage Treatment Plant And Redundancy Of The Components To Ensure That Final Effluent Quality Is In Compliance With State Permitting Requirements.

Impact

The resolution highlights a series of past exceedances of bacteria limitations set by the Department of Health, signaling a significant public health risk as well as a threat to the local environment. These exceedances occurred several times between August 2020 and February 2022, underlining the urgent need for upgrades and compliance with regulatory standards. Additionally, the resolution notes the potential for increased wastewater inputs due to planned troop expansions, further stressing the necessity of enhancing the wastewater treatment infrastructure.

Summary

Senate Resolution 80, introduced in the Thirty-first Legislature of Hawaii in 2022, urges the Marine Corps Base Hawaii to enhance the capacity of its sewage treatment plant and improve redundancy in its components. This resolution addresses pressing concerns about the plant's inability to consistently meet state permitting requirements, particularly relating to the discharge of treated wastewater into Kailua Bay. The base currently discharges approximately two million gallons of treated wastewater daily, which is crucial for the local ecosystem and those who use the bay for recreational activities.

Conclusion

Ultimately, while Senate Resolution 80 is a call for action towards better environmental stewardship and public health protection, it also touches on broader themes of military responsibility and community relations. Ensuring compliance with state laws is vital not just for the marine base but also for the well-being of local residents and the preservation of Hawaii's natural resources.

Contention

A notable aspect of this resolution is its request for the reestablishment of a water reuse system within the base, which had been previously implemented to irrigate areas like the Klipper Golf Course. This would not only help in conserving drinking water but also substantially reduce the volume of wastewater discharged into the ocean, aligning the base's operations with state water conservation goals established in the 2019 Water Quality Plan. The resolution suggests that similar efforts have been effectively met by other counties, thus setting a precedent for the base to follow.