Bill Text: HI SCR49 | 2015 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Environment; Illegal Dumping; Waste Disposal

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-04-20 - Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JUD with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Har, Ito, Rhoads excused (3). [SCR49 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2015-SCR49-Amended.html

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THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	49
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the clean up and investigation of illegal dumping and illegal structures at 1700 laumaile street in kalihi and the development and implementation of measures to prevent illegal dumping and illegal structures in the area.

 

 

     WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that illegal dumping of trash at 1700 Laumaile Street, in Kalihi, Oahu, and in or around nearby area streams, is an ongoing concern that has frustrated Kalihi area residents for several years; and

 

     WHEREAS, this illegal dumping adversely affects not only the Kalihi area but all areas downstream and, according to the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services' Adopt-A-Stream program, when dumped materials get into the stream cycle, they decompose and eliminate critical, life-giving oxygen from the water, which causes streams to become unpleasant and emit bad odors; and

 

     WHEREAS, dumping at 1700 Laumaile Street and in nearby area streams is not only unsightly, but a pollution problem as items such as yard waste, construction debris, fertilizers and pesticides, and dog waste can pollute the water, making it unsanitary for humans and wildlife; and

 

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

 

     WHEREAS, the source of this illegal dumping includes area residents, individuals, construction or landscaping contractors, waste management companies, automobile repair shops, scrap collectors, and others who have been seen driving into the area just to dump trash; and

 

     WHEREAS, although the Legislature adopted S.C.R. No. 89, S.D. 1, during the Regular Session of 2009, requesting the cleanup of Laumaile Street, including 1700 Laumaile Street, the trash and illegal structures have returned to the area, necessitating a renewed effort to clean up the area and prevent future illegal dumping and illegal structures; and

 

     WHEREAS, there are state laws that address waste disposal and littering, but enforcement of anti-dumping statutes is a challenge because waste dumping can occur at any time of the day, including very early morning hours; and

 

     WHEREAS, this body finds that the State, through the Department of Health, and the City, through the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services, have overlapping jurisdiction over solid waste dumping and water pollution in this area, which can cause confusion when the public attempts to call in a complaint; and

 

     WHEREAS, a public survey conducted by the City and County of Honolulu found that ninety-one percent of residents described illegal dumping as a "somewhat or very serious" problem, yet the same percentage of people had never reported an incident of illegal dumping; and

 

     WHEREAS, this body finds that 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 at 1700 Laumaile Street are also a concern to area residents, as well as a potential public health and safety concern; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2015, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health's Clean Water Branch and Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch, Honolulu Police Department, and City and County of Honolulu's Departments of Environmental Services and Planning and Permitting are requested to investigate illegal dumping and illegal structures at 1700 Laumaile Street in Kalihi and to coordinate the cleanup, pollution prevention, and 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 the Honolulu Police Department, Director of the Department of Environmental Services, and Director of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu are requested to jointly report on the measures taken to address illegal dumping and illegal structures at 1700 Laumaile Street and to report their findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2016; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Chief of Police of the Honolulu Police Department, Director of the Departments of Environmental Services of the City and County of Honolulu, and Director of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu.

Report Title: 

Environment; Illegal Dumping; Waste Disposal