SCR 141: REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO MAKE WATER QUALITY AND CONTAMINATION TESTING RESULTS FOR WAIMANALO GULCH PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE.

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	141
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO MAKE WATER QUALITY AND CONTAMINATION TESTING RESULTS FOR WAIMANALO GULCH PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE.

 

 

     WHEREAS, clean water is essential to the health, safety, and well-being of the residents of Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu relies on its groundwater aquifer as its primary source of drinking water; and

 

WHEREAS, landfills contain contaminants that, if not properly managed, have the potential to enter groundwater and surrounding watersheds; and

 

WHEREAS, Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill is a municipal landfill owned by the City and County of Honolulu and operated by Waste Management of Hawaii Inc.; and

 

WHEREAS, in 2009, expansion work began at the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill, including construction of a stormwater diversion structure; and

 

     WHEREAS, during the 2009 construction project Waste Management of Hawaii, Inc. used temporary stormwater pipes to divert stormwater around the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill; and

 

     WHEREAS, temporary stormwater diversion pipes installed during construction were breached in 2010 and 2011, resulting in the discharge of millions of gallons of contaminated stormwater into coastal areas near the Ko Olina Resort and nearby beaches from Ewa to Nanakuli; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2014, a federal grand jury issued a thirteen-count indictment against Waste Management of Hawaii, Inc. including violations of the Clean Water Act; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2019, Waste Management of Hawaii, Inc. and the City and County of Honolulu paid a combined penalty of $425,000 to the State of Hawaii and the federal government for coral reef habitat restoration, monitoring, and conservation on the leeward coast of Oahu; and

 

WHEREAS, in 2019, the State of Hawaii Department of Health and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) entered a consent decree with the City and County of Honolulu and Waste Management of Hawaii, Inc. to address ongoing compliance issues at the Waimanalo Gulch landfill; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2023, the EPA and the Department of Health announced that the City and County of Honolulu and Waste Management of Hawaii, Inc. satisfied all requirements under the consent decree, and the United States District Court of Hawaii granted termination of the consent decree; and

 

     WHEREAS, although the consent decree has concluded, the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill continues to operate pursuant to applicable federal, state, and county environmental laws, including rules and regulations enforced by the EPA and the Department of Health; and

 

     WHEREAS, water quality monitoring and contamination testing related to landfill operations and surrounding watersheds continue in order to ensure compliance with environmental standards and protect public health; and

 

     WHEREAS, timely public access to environmental monitoring data promotes transparency and strengthens community trust in the oversight and regulation of landfill operations; and

 

     WHEREAS, posting water quality and contamination testing results online as soon as practicable after the information is made available to the Department of Health would ensure that residents, researchers, and policymakers have prompt access to information affecting environmental and public health; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to:

1. Make all current and future water quality and contamination testing results for Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill easily accessible to the public in a timely and user-friendly manner;

2. Provide clear information on the types of contaminants tested, testing frequency, and interpretation of results; and

3. Collaborate with community organizations, environmental groups, and academic institutions to promote transparency and public engagement; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Department of Health, in coordination with the City and County of Honolulu and other relevant agencies, is requested to submit an annual report to the Legislature summarizing the water quality and contamination testing results for the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill, including information on contaminants tested, testing frequency, and any actions taken in response to results, to ensure that the Legislature is informed of environmental conditions and public health impacts; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to submit its report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to beginning of each regular legislative session; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to Director of Health, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, the President of Waste Management f Hawaii, Inc., and other relevant agencies or entities involved in water resource management.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

 

Report Title: 

Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill; Water Quality Monitoring