Spills might cost
city $3.5 million

The state is levying fines for
sewage spills of more than
8 million gallons since 1996

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By Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.com

The city faces fines of up to $3.5 million for spills of more than 8 million gallons of raw sewage on Oahu since 1996, the state Department of Health announced yesterday.

"It's a major concern," said Laurence Lau, state deputy health director for the environment. "We want the city to correct the situation at Sand Island (where a March 4 spill released 2 million gallons of raw sewage) and really work harder to prevent future spills."

A 1995 federal court consent decree requires the city to reduce the number and volume of all spills from its sewage system.

"However, the city has not included spills from force mains (pressurized lines) when calculating their compliance with the consent decree spill-reduction goals," a Health Department announcement said.

The state's order says that between November 1996 and this month, the city had 23 sewage spills from pressurized sewage pipes, resulting in 7.9 million gallons going into state waters and 500,000 gallons onto the ground. The order was signed by Lau on Thursday but made public yesterday.

Potential fines for the violations are up to $10,000 a day through June 1997 and up to $25,000 a day since then. The state will decide the amount of fines at a hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

To correct the sewage spill problem, the state is ordering the city to:

» Assess the condition of every pressurized sewer line in its sewage system.

» Develop preventive maintenance plans for the force mains.

» Implement maintenance and repair measures to prevent future spills.

City Environmental Services Director Frank Doyle said it will not be a problem for the city to have required information to the state by May and September deadlines in the order.

"We'll be able to demonstrate that we have done a lot, both in the past and recently" to address problems with force mains, Doyle said. "I think we'll be able to satisfy them."

Doyle said the $2.1 million repair cost of the March 4 break in the Sand Island force main will be paid out of the current year's budget -- some of it from an emergency fund. Repair of that line is to be completed by the end of May, he said.

The city's proposed 2005 budget includes $50 million for sewer repair work, Doyle said.

Had the state not taken action against the city, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would have, said Alexis Strauss, EPA regional water division director. "We're thrilled that the Department of Health wanted to deal with the spills issue now."

Laura Edmunds, the state Sierra Club's Blue Water Campaign coordinator, also praised the state's move.

"We're very encouraged that the Department of Health has followed through and is putting the pressure on the city. Hopefully the city will also step up and take responsibility," Edmunds said.

"The public is very sick of turning on their TV and seeing sewage spills day after day and seeing their favorite beaches closed," she said.