Hawaii County agrees to take action against unauthorized sewage flow in harbor

The County of Hawaii will apply for a permit under the Clean Water Act due to wastewater discharges into Honokōhau Harbor.

This is part of a partial agreement with the county and Hui Mālama Honokōhau, a group of Native American cultural workers and fishermen who use the Honokōhau Harbor in Kailua-Kona on the island of Hawaii.

Last September, a group of port users filed a lawsuit against the county over the discharge of wastewater from the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant into the port.

As part of the settlement, Hawaii County will apply for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit within the next six months. The county must upgrade its facility to comply with the Clean Water Act.

If the settlement is approved in federal court, the groups will begin the second phase of litigation, which would focus on how to address the ongoing wastewater discharges.

“We are pleased that the county has decided not to waste any more taxpayer dollars fighting the need for a Clean Water Act permit for its wastewater discharges,” said Mike Nakachi, president of Hui Mālama Honokōhau, in a statement.

“Local families have suffered for far too long from pollution that pollutes our oceans and threatens our health. We look forward to working with the county to find solutions that benefit our community and the environment,” he continued.

The state Department of Health administers the NPDES permit. The settlement reserves the plaintiff’s right to return to federal court if the Department of Health does not promptly issue the permit.