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Kokua Line
Question: Residents living on the East side of the Pearlridge Center Phase III complex are subjected to intolerable noise from a recently modified blower/exhaust system. This is like being in a power-generating plant. In the day hours, the noise is intolerable. During late night and early morning hours, the noise is ridiculous. Bedrooms closest to this complex can't be used. Only by personal observation can one feel our pain. We lived here before this structure was built. This contributes to mental anguish and property devaluation. Do we have city or state regulations protecting residents in these situations? If not, what is the process to formally request a regulation? Zoning might allow
loud blower noiseAnswer: The state Department of Health's Noise, Radiation and Indoor Air Quality Branch was to look into your complaint. However, the only way to check whether the noise you describe exceeds allowable standards is to measure the sound from your property, said James Toma, an environmental health specialist with the branch.
Call 586-4700 to arrange a meeting.
"There are allowable levels depending on the zoning of the property," Toma said. His office received a similar complaint about the center "years back," but hadn't had a complaint recently.
Inspectors were to contact the restaurant you mentioned to follow through. The Pearlridge Center manager did not respond to our request for comment.
Toma also explained that the Health Department's standards for "allowable levels pertain to construction, industrial, agricultural and stationary noise sources." Your complaint would fall under stationary noise.
All other noise complaints should be directed to police.
Q: Every day I go to work at Ala Moana Center. Employees at my store are required to park at the lower basement level. To get to this "dungeon," we use a staircase on the mauka side of the mall. Near the bottom of this staircase is an open drain pipe which intermittently and literally shoots out gallons of a horrible smelly liquid. To me, this seems to be some sort of disgusting sewage, since it smells like rotten eggs and causes a gross, slimy layer that is constantly present. What exactly is this, where it is coming from, and is anyone is aware of this, like the Department of Health! It must be unsanitary, most likely illegal and in general, a definite hazard to customers and employees.
A: It's not sewage, Ala Moana Center general manager Dwight Yoshimura assures you, but he does acknowledge it is a problem.
Essentially, it is "storm drain water that has collected," he said.
When it rains, water goes into a tank and sits there until enough of it gets collected, at which point, a sump pump is triggered, "kicking the water into the storm drain," Yoshimura said. But when it doesn't rain, "there's some stagnant water" in the tank -- not enough to trigger the pump -- which accounts for the foul odor.
The interim measure is to fill the tank to move out the stagnant water, but the budgeted plan this year is to repair or replace the drainage pipe, he said.
Auwe
Regarding the Department of Transportation's response that planting trees wouldn't resolve the problem of the sun's glare along the Likelike Highway near the Wilson Tunnel (Jan. 20 Kokua Line): I also suggested planting trees there 20 years ago and nobody followed through. I don't believe the alternate solutions will alleviate the problem. Unless they try planting trees, how do they know it won't work? -- No name
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