Callers who see health hazards can be HEER'd
There is a transmission shop on Queen Street that is spilling oil and grease onto the street, where I ride my bike every day. It's becoming a hazard. Can't someone make them clean it up?ANSWER: You may be able to, by calling the state Department of Health's Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office at 586-4249.
They will send someone to assess the situation then take action if necessary, said Health Department spokesman Patrick Johnston.
The HEER staff "responds to the release of hazardous substances and oversees the cleanup of contaminated sites," he said.
One day, I saw two Japanese tourists wandering through Portlock, clearly in the wrong direction from Hanauma Bay, where they wanted to go. I gave them a lift, but the incident made me realize that while there is a clear sign for motorists marked "Hanauma Bay" at the bottom of the hill, at Kalanianaole Highway and Lunalilo Home Road, there is nothing for pedestrians. Can the state or city put a Hanauma Bay sign there for pedestrians? The state Department of Transportation targets its signs for motorists - it doesn't post pedestrian signs, said spokeswoman Marilyn Kali. For one thing, there's the problem of vandalism when signs are posted low. "We try to keep them eight to 10 feet above the ground so people can't reach and deface them," Kali said.
We posed your question to a city spokesman, who said the few pedestrians affected really wouldn't warrant such a sign.
