...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM HST FRIDAY...
* WHAT...East winds 15 to 25 kt with gusts up to 35 kt and seas
6 to 9 feet.
* WHERE...Oahu Windward Waters, Oahu Leeward Waters, Kaiwi
Channel, Maui County Windward Waters, Maui County Leeward
Waters, Maalaea Bay, Big Island Leeward Waters and Big Island
Southeast Waters.
* WHEN...Until 6 AM HST Friday.
* IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller
vessels, should avoid navigating in these conditions.
&&
HONOLULU (KITV4) -- The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) issued an $8.7 million fine to the US Navy for repeated sewage discharges into waters near the NAVFAC Hawaii Wastewater Treatment Plant near Pearl Harbor.
“The Navy’s failure to properly operate and maintain this wastewater treatment plant led to the pollution of state waters. We are taking action to protect our state’s water resources and to hold the Navy accountable to make critical repairs and prevent a potential catastrophic failure of the facility,” said Deputy Director of Environmental Health Kathleen Ho.
The fine issued by DOH -- $8,776,250.00 – is based on 766 counts of discharging pollutants beyond permitted limits, officials said. The fine was also based on 17 counts of unauthorized bypass and 212 counts of operation and maintenance failures.
In addition to the fine, the DOH has also ordered the Navy to make critical repairs to the Pearl Harbor facility.
Matt Kurano, of the DOH Clean Water Branch, said the Navy began reporting the discharges two years ago, but has not taken steps to correct certain operational issues.
"If you're reporting violations, you need to correct them immediately,"Kurano added. "That is your obligation as a permitted discharger."
The Navy may submit a request for a hearing and contest the NOVO within 20 days of its receipt.
"We've been told time and time again, every time there's an incident like this, that the Navy commits itself to being a good steward, it commits itself to transparency," Sierra Club of Hawai'i president Wayne Tanaka said, referencing the recent tainted water crisis at the Navy's Red Hill fuel facility.
"But actions speak louder than words."
A Navy spokesperson sent KITV the following statement:
“The Navy is in receipt of a Notice of Violation and Order (NOVO) from the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) dated Sept. 22, 2022, for violations of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam’s wastewater treatment plant operating permit under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. The wastewater treatment plant remains operational, and the Navy continues to improve operations at the plant. Per permit requirements, the Navy will continue to sample effluent and provide results to DOH and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In June 2021, the Navy and EPA entered into a Federal Facilities Compliance Agreement (FFCA) to address known deficiencies with the facility, committing to a series of 21 actions with associated timelines. The Navy is on track to meet those FFCA obligations, including assessments, plans, and construction projects, which may also address some of the items in the DOH’s Sept. 22 NOVO.”