Bill Text: HI HCR82 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Pollution and illegal dumping in Kalihi

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-23 - (H) The committee(s) recommends that the measure be deferred. [HCR82 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-HCR82-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	82
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE investigation and CLEANUP OF the ILLEGAL disposal of trash AT NORTH SCHOOL STREET and RICHARD lane IN KALIHI AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF MEASURES TO PREVENT ILLEGAL DUMPING IN THE AREA.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, the illegal disposal of trash, including bicycle and automobile parts and household appliances, on North School Street, between Kamehameha IV Road and Notley Street, in Kalihi, Oahu, Richard Lane, and in or around nearby area streets, has been an ongoing concern that has frustrated Kalihi residents for several years; and

 

     WHEREAS, dumping on North School Street, Richard Lane, and in nearby areas is not only an eyesore but also a pollution problem, because items such as yard waste, construction debris, and even dog feces can pollute area streams, making it unsanitary for humans and animals alike; and

 

     WHEREAS, illegal dumping adversely affects not only the Kalihi area but all areas downstream, and as explained by the coordinator of the City and County of Honolulu's (City) Department of Environmental Services' Adopt-A-Stream program: "When it rains, storm water percolates though accumulated garbage, some of it toxic, which goes untreated into local streams"; and

 

     WHEREAS, accumulated trash in the area also entices vermin, including rodents, which adds to the public-health concern; and

 

     WHEREAS, the source of this illegal disposal of trash includes both community residents and others who have been seen driving into the area just to dump garbage; and
     WHEREAS, although community cleanup programs are ongoing, no sooner is an area cleaned, then more trash is illegally disposed of in the same area; and

 

     WHEREAS, although there are state laws that address waste disposal and littering, the enforcement of anti-dumping statutes is a challenge when such dumping can occur at any time of the day, including during the wee hours of the morning; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State, through the Department of Health (DOH), and the City, through the Department of Environmental Services (DES), have overlapping jurisdiction over matters of solid-waste disposal and water pollution, which can cause confusion when the public attempts to call in a complaint; and

 

     WHEREAS, a coordinated effort between state and city agencies tasked with enforcing compliance with state anti-dumping laws is essential to investigate this ongoing problem, coordinate a thorough cleanup of the area, and develop measures to prevent illegal dumping at this site in the future; and

 

     WHEREAS, illegal structures along North School Street and Richard Lane are also a concern to area residents as well as a potential threat to public health and safety; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, the Senate concurring, that DOH's Clean Water Branch and Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch, the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), and the City's DES and Department of Planning and Permitting are requested to investigate illegal dumping along North School Street, between Kamehameha IV Road and Notley Street in Kalihi, and Richard Lane and to coordinate cleanup and pollution-prevention efforts and the enforcement of pollution, anti-dumping, and other applicable laws in that area; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health, Chief of Police of HPD, and Director of the City's DES are requested to jointly report on the measures taken to address illegal dumping in the North School Street and Richard Lane area and to report their findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2011; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Chief of HPD, and City's directors of DES and the Department of Planning and Permitting.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Pollution and illegal dumping in Kalihi