Please Testify in Support of the Red Hill Bill!

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All hands on deck! SB 2930 SD2 HD1 has a hearing in a CRITICAL COMMITTEE: House Committee on Health and Human Services on Tuesday March 20 at 8:30am in Capitol room 329. This is our opportunity to demand that these leaky, antiquated tanks be upgraded to secondary containment within 10 years! Please help us get this critical bill to the governor's desk...only one more committee after this one if we can successfully shepherd it through Tuesday's hearing.

This bill presents the best opportunity to ensure the strongest regulations of the Red Hill fuel tanks. The tanks at Red Hill will need to brought into compliance with the rules that are drafted by the Department of Health—this bill, through the legislative process, allows the opportunity for the public to help influence those rules, even before the administrative process. 

Please testify now using the form below!

If you are available, please come out and support. Your oral testimony, and even simply your presence, makes a big difference in helping legislators take a strong position in defense of our water. You may bring signs but they must be on 8.5x11" paper. 

Need a refresher on the Red Hill Water Issue? Click here.

Call Your Representatives for the Red Hill Bill!

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Thank you to everyone that submitted testimony on SB 2930, the Red Hill bill - we had over 120 people submit testimony - THAT IS OUTSTANDING!

Chair Lee, Vice Chair Lowen, and the members of the Energy and Environmental Protection Committee have deferred SB 2930 to the end of the Thursday, March 15 agenda for decision making. This decision—after long testimony and discussions from the U.S. Navy, Attorney General’s office, Hawaiʻi Department of Health, Honolulu Board of Water Supply and the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi—allows for further discussions to be had with these stakeholders on exactly what amendments should be made to the bill. We expect that SB 2930 will be passed out of EEP on Thursday but with what amendments is unclear.

What you can do:
Call House Speaker Saiki at 808-586-6100 today or tomorrow and ask him to protect Oʻahu's water by passing a bill that requires secondary containment of the Red Hill tanks within 10 years. The people of Oʻahu deserve clean and secure drinking water and should not have to wait another 20 years, as proposed by the Department of Health, to ensure our water is safe from fuel contamination.

Representative Bellati (Email: repbellati@capitol.hawaii.gov, Tel: 808-586-9431) and Representative Luke (Email: repluke@capitol.hawaii.gov, Tel: 808-586-6200) are also two legislators who should hear community voices on this critical water security issue! Please take a few minutes to let them know it matters to you and your community.

We will keep you posted on the status of SB 2930.

As always, thank you for everything you do to protect Hawaiʻi and its environment.

E ola i ka wai. Water is life.

Red Hill Bill Needs Your Support!

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Just in case you missed it, we won our lawsuit against the Hawaiʻi Department of Health. At the end of February, first circuit court Judge Crabtree ruled from the bench in favor of the Sierra Club—finding that the state’s exemption of the Red Hill fuel tanks violates state law.

This is a HUGE WIN and a giant step in the right direction. But we have lots of work left to do.

Next Step: Senate Bill 2930 SD2. This bill requires that the Red Hill tanks have secondary containment—that is, leak prevention—or the tanks be removed and the fuel relocated. The deadline for accomplishing this was blanked out in the last Senate Committee to hear the bill (that’s Sen. Baker’s Consumer Protection and Health Committee). But we are asking for 5 years.

This bill presents the best opportunity to ensure the strongest regulations of the Red Hill fuel tanks. The tanks at Red Hill will need to brought into compliance with the rules that are drafted by the Department of Health—this bill, through the legislative process, allows the opportunity for the public to help influence those rules, even before the administrative process. 

SB 2930 SD2 has a hearing in the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection on Tuesday, March 13 at 8:30AM in Conference Room 325. If you are available, please come out and support. Your oral testimony, and even simply your presence, makes a big difference in helping legislators take a strong position in defense of our water. You may bring signs but they must be on 8.5x11" paper. 

Action Alert! Important bills being heard in House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection

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This hearing is HUGE! Please submit testimony by Monday 3/12 at 8:30am in SUPPORT of the following bills:

Freshwater

SB 2930 Underground Storage Tanks

Sea Level Rise

SB 2334 Sea Level Rise planning

SB 3068 Implements recommendations of the Sea Level Rise report

Clean Energy

SB 2939 Performance based rates

SB 2910 Grid resiliency

Cesspools

SB 2567 Cesspool upgrade upon property sale

Sunscreens

SB 2571 Oxybenzone/Octinoxate Ban

Waste/Recycling

SB 3099 Recycling benchmarks

SB 2110 Motor oil collection

Native/Invasive Species

SB 2399 Invasive Species Authority

General Environment

SB 2977 Assesses the effects of tourism on climate change

SB 2965 Nature-based solutions in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts

Sustainable Development Goals

SB 2668 Affordable and clean energy

SB 2674 Climate action

Need a testimony template? Click here for a copy & paste. You will just need to add your info and why you support the bill.

Crossover is upon us!

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The 2018 legislative session is halfway finished! ...and what a whirlwind it has been. For those of you with us for the first time, welcome and thanks for sticking to it! We know it can be fast and furious. Please feel free to reach out with any questions: hawaii.chapter@sierraclub.org

Below is the list of 50 environmental bills we will be pushing after crossover. Please familiarize as necessary! Most bills already have committee referrals, so NOW it is time to contact committee chairs to hear these bills ASAP. Next important deadline: March 23 is second lateral.

What is "crossover", you ask? 

Crossover: deadline for bills to pass third reading in order to move (or “crossover”) to the other chamber. If successful, House bills are sent to the Senate and Senate bills are sent to the House for further consideration.

Click here for a quick view refresher on how a bill becomes a law in Hawaiʻi.

Sea Level Rise

HB 2106 OEQC/Chapter 343 include SLR considerations

SB 2334 SLR planning

SB 3068 Implements recommendations of the SLR report

Clean Energy

HB 1801 Gas utility standard = electric utility standard

HB 1864 Ocean thermal air conditioning

HB 2460 Microgrids

SB 2939 Performance based rates

HB 2724 Office of Clean Energy

HB 2719 Clean energy economy advisory board

SB 2910 Grid resiliency / HB 2249 Grid resiliency

HB 2110 Microgrid tariff

HB 1830 UH Green Special Fund

Carbon

HB 1986 DBEDT carbon revenues

HB 2182 Carbon Sequestration Task Force

SB 1088 Haleakala Carbon Forestry Project FIN

HB 795 Carbon forestry certification WTL, WAM

Cesspools

HB 2626 Third party consultant

SB 2717 Grants for Hawaiian Homelands

SB 2567 Upgrade upon sale

Sunscreens

SB 2571 Oxybenzone/Octinoxate Ban

Polystyrene/Plastics

SB2498 Polystyrene ban

HB 2107 Plastic Pollution Initiative

HB 2718 DAGS county polystyrene

Waste/Recycling

HB 1806 Food donations

HB 1800 Motor vehicle tires

SB 3099 Recycling benchmarks

HB 2025 Composting in schools pilot project

SB 2110 Motor oil collection

Native/Invasive Species

SB 2399 Invasive Species Authority

Pesticides

SB 3095 Buffer zones

SB 2126 Pesticide revolving fund

SB 2569 Pesticide Advisory Committee

Agriculture/Land Use

SB 2524 County land use requirements

SB 2572 Local food production

SB 2561 Conservation districts / HB 2101 Conservation districts

Trails

SB 2331 Na Ala Hele trail funding

Watersheds

HB 2595 DLNR watershed funding

HB 1977 Watershed flood mitigation

Freshwater

HB 1987 Stream study 

SB 2930 Underground Storage Tanks

HB 2592 Water infrastructure funding

DLNR Funding

SB 3038 TAT—>DLNR funding 

General Environment

HB 2026 LRB study to re-org agencies

HB 2470 State and county water and air quality standards

SB 2977 Tourism effects on climate change

SB 2965 Nature-based solutions in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts

Sustainable Development Goals

SB 2667 Clean water and sanitation

SB 2668 Affordable and clean energy

SB 2674 Climate action

SB 2675 Life below water

SB 2676 Life on land

Red Hill Bill Needs Your Support

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Wednesday was a big win for us - the Navy's Red Hill tanks violate state law. This win means many things - one being that there is now A LOT MORE work to do. 

The work has arrived. First up - SB2930 requires the Department of Health to adopt rules for underground storage tanks and tank systems to meet federal regulations including additional requirements for field-constructed tanks (tanks at Red Hill) by October 2018.

At this time, this bill presents the best opportunity for us to ensure the strongest regulations of these tanks. The tanks at Red Hill will need to brought into compliance with the rules that are drafted by the Department of Health—this bill, through the legislative process, allows the opportunity for the public to help influence those rules, even before the administrative process. 

The pre-draft rules that the Department of Health has proposed are not strong enough. The rules codify 20 years and less than 100% protection of Oʻahu's groundwater.  

Please submit testimony below on SB 2930 and come to the hearing on Monday, February 26 at 10:15am in room 229 at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol. This committee does not accept oral testimony but your presence makes a big difference in helping legislators take a strong position in defense of our water. You may bring signs but they must be on 8.5x11" paper.  

First Lateral Bill Update

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It has been a whirlwind of bill tracking since session started, but we have come to the first lateral deadline (2/16) with many of our priority environmental bills still alive!

First lateral: all bills referred to more than one committee (i.e., those with multiple referrals) must move to their final committee in the originating chamber by this day.

Some of these bills are still sitting in their final committee, which means we need to get them heard before crossover on 3/8. A handful have already made it to crossover!

Crossover: deadline for bills to pass third reading in order to move (or “crossover”) to the other chamber. If successful, House bills are sent to the Senate and Senate bills are sent to the House for further consideration.

Please update your bill trackers with the bill list below. We will start ramping up our calls to action soon, as many of these bills are passing through tougher committees. Our scope is narrowed, now is the time to push hard for these good bills to be passed this session!

*Note: Designated ALL CAPS acronyms refer to the committee the bill is currently sitting in (e.g., FIN = bill still needs to be heard by the Finance Committee before 3/8 in order to make it to crossover). CRSO = the bill has been heard by all committees it was referred to and now it is headed to crossover.

Sea Level Rise

 HB 2468 FIN, HB 2469 FIN, HB 2106 FIN, SB 2442 CPH, SB 694 CPH, SB 2334 CRSO, SB 3068 WAM, SB 3063 WAM, SB 2017 CPH

Cesspools

HB 2626 FIN, HB 2732 FIN,/SB 2642 CPH/AEN/WTL, SB 2717 WAM, SB 2567 CPH

Clean Energy

HB 1801 FIN, HB 1864 FIN, HB 2460 FIN, SB 2939 WAM, HB 2724 FIN, HB 2719 FIN, SB 2910 WAM/HB 2249 FIN, HB 2110 FIN, HB 1830 FIN

Carbon

HB 1986 FIN, HB 2182 FIN, HB 795 WTL/WAM, SB 1088 FIN

Oxybenzone Ban

HB 2723 FIN, SB 2571 CPH

Polystyrene/Plastic

SB2498 CPH, HB 2625 FIN, HB 2107 FIN, SB 2285 JDC/WAM, HB 2718 FIN

Waste/Recycling

HB 1806 CRSO, HB 1800 FIN, HB 2726 FIN/SB 3099 WAM, HB 184 FIN, HB 2025 FIN, HB 2095 FIN, SB 2110 CPH

Native/Invasive Species

SB 636 WAM, SB 2399 WAM, HB 2301 FIN

Pesticides

HB 2721 FIN, HB 2722 FIN, HB 1756 FIN, SB 3095 EDU/WAM, SB 2126 CRSO, SB 2569 CRSO

Agriculture/Land Use

SB 2575 WAM, SB 2524 CPH/PSM/AEN, SB 2572 WAM, SB 2561 WAM HB 2101 FIN

Trails

HB 479 FIN, SB 2331 WAM

Watersheds

HB 2595 FIN, HB 1977 FIN

SDGs

SB 2667 CRSO, SB 2668 WAM, SB 2674 CRSO, SB 2675 WAM, SB 2676 WAM

Freshwater

HB 1987 FIN, SB 2930 CPH, HB 2592 FIN

DLNR Funding

SB 2446 WAM

General Environment

HB 1708 FIN, HB 2026 FIN, HB 2470 FIN

Underground Storage Tank Bill Updates

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Yesterday and today, bills that would finally regulate the tanks at Red Hill and other military underground field constructed tanks elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands were heard in senate and house committees. A huge mahalo to those who submitted testimony and showed up at the hearings to let the Navy know that 20 years is TOO LONG to fix the tanks. 

Bill updates:

SB 2930 deferred until 2/9/18 at 1:15PM in conference room 224.

HB 2712 passed through committee with amendments. This bill has two additional committees to get through before the 2/16 first lateral deadline. Contact Chairs Mizuno and Luke NOW and request this bill be heard in their committees before the deadline!

Also, last week we attended the Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board meeting to hear what the Navy had to say about their plans for Red Hill. Department of Health and the Board of Water Supply were also in attendance. The Navy gave a very technical presentation outlining their current work under the Administrative Order on Consent (AOC), including their usual spiel that our drinking water is safe. While it is great that the Navy is engaging in public outreach on this issue, they are still providing little assurance that the tanks will not leak, nor outlining any plans they have to handle yet another possible future spill. The Sierra Club still has concerns that the 20 year timeline within which to upgrade the tanks at Red Hill is too long. The Navy will present again on:

  • Thursday February 8th at the Diamond Head/Kapahulu/St. Louis Neighborhood Board meeting.
  • Wednesday February 14th at the Palolo Neighborhood Board meeting. Agenda pending, check back soon.

SAVE THE DATE: The evening of Wednesday March 14th at Moanalua Middle School for the Navy's next public meeting on Red Hill. We will update you as the date approaches!

Bills, Bills, Bills

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The 29th legislative session is in full swing! With help from our members, partners, and Capitol Watch team captains, we’ve been busy tracking a number of bills that we've identified as priority bills. Please add these to your trackers and flag as bills that either a) have "legs" (i.e., have a decent chance to pass first lateral) and/or b) are well-written with the greatest positive environmental impact.

Please note: after first lateral (February 16th), many bills will die. It is important we make every attempt to get these priority bills through the committees they have been referred to! Please contact Committee Chairs ASAP and request your priority bills get heard!

HOW can you help?

There are many ways you can help usher these priority bills through the legislature:

WHAT bills are priority?

Sea Level Rise: HB 2468, HB 2469, HB 2106, SB 2442, SB 694, SB 2334, SB 3068, SB 3063, SB 2327, SB 2017

Cesspools: HB 2268, HB 2626, HB 2732/SB 2642, HB 1722/SB 2717, SB 2567, SB 2117

Clean Energy: HB 1801, HB 1864, HB 2057, HB 2109, HB 2460, HB 2431, SB 2933, SB 2956, SB 2939, HB 2724, HB 2719, SB 2910/HB 2249, HB 2110, HB 1830

LNG/Fracking: HB 1836, HB 1837, HB 1838, HB 1839

Carbon: HB 1986, HB 1991, HB 2182, HB 795, SB 1088, SB 105

Oxybenzone Ban: HB 2264, HB 2723, HB 1391, SB 2571, SB 2409

Polystyrene/Plastic: HB 1937/SB2498, HB 2625/SB 2964, HB 371, HB 2107, SB 2285, SB 2127, HB 2718

Waste/Recycling: HB 1806, HB 1800, HB 2726/SB 3099, HB 184, HB 2025, HB 2095, SB 2110, SB 2120

Native/Invasive Species: HB 904/SB 636, SB 2399, HB 2301/SB 2728

Pesticides: HB 2721, HB 2722, HB 2495/SB 2837, HB 1756/SB 2456, SB 2469, SB 3095, SB 2126

Agriculture/Land Use: SB 2575, SB 2524, SB 2572, SB 2561/HB 2101

Trails: HB 479, SB 2331

Watersheds: HB 2595, HB 2543, HB 1977

Freshwater: HB 1987, SB 2930/HB2712, HB 2592

Sustainable Development Goals: SB 2667, SB 2668, SB 2673, SB 2674, SB 2675, SB 2676

DLNR Funding: SB 2446

General Environment: HB 1708, HB 2026, HB 2470

*Slash indicates companion bills.

Cesspools Could Soon Impact Hawaiʻi's Drinking Water

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Act 125, passed in the 2017 legislative session, bans all cesspools by 2050 and expands the tax credit to to homeowners with the intention of making it less financially burdening to upgrade existing cesspools. In December, the Hawaiʻi Department of Health released a report required by this law that investigated the number, scope, location and priority of cesspools statewide.

The Department of Health (DOH) identified four categories designating priority for cesspool replacement with Priority 1 posing significant risk of human health impacts, drinking water impacts, or draining to sensitive waters. Priorities 2 and 3 pose potential risks to drinking water and sensitive waters. Priority 4 designates cesspools where human health and environmental risks have not yet been identified. There are 42,730 cesspools (half of all cesspools in HI) statewide that fall under Priorities 1-3, with two Priority 1 areas: one in upcountry Maui and one in the Kahaluʻu, Oʻahu. These priority cesspools fall under 14 critical areas across the state; 5 on Hawaiʻi Island, 5 on Oʻahu, 3 on Kauaʻi and 1 on Maui.

UPDATE: Public informational meetings will be held in Makawao, Maui on Tuesday, January 9, 6-8pm at the Eddie Tam Memorial Center, 931 Makawao Ave., Makawao, HI 96768 and in Kahaluʻu, Oʻahu on Friday, January 12, 6-8pm at Kualoa-He‘eia Ecumenical Youth (KEY) Project, 47-200 Waihe‘e Road, Kaneohe, Hawai‘i 96744. 

There will also be a legislative informational briefing on Wednesday, January 10, 11am-12:30pm at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol, room 423. 

Hawaiʻi has far more cesspools than any other state—cesspools that inject tens of thousands of gallons of raw sewage into our groundwater every day. This is problematic as this input of raw sewage not only harms our aquatic and nearshore environments but can spread disease through Hawaiʻi’s primary source of drinking water.

“Hawaiʻi needs to race to catch up with the rest of the world when it comes to wastewater management. We are the last place in the U.S. to ban cesspools. This report shows leaks from cesspools are undermining the quality of our groundwater and drinking water resources. Keeping our ground and drinking water clean is mission-critical in terms of protecting public health and preserving our environment. Act 125 is a step in the right direction, however, we believe more needs to be done to help make upgrades more accessible to Hawaiʻi’s people," said Marti Townsend. “Upcountry Maui is already seeing the impacts of outdated cesspools. The State should take these early warning signs seriously and act now to protect Hawaiʻi’s drinking water and the environment. That means releasing more funds to the Department of Health and making upgrades more accessible to Hawaiʻi’s people through stronger incentive programs.”

We recognize that upgrading cesspools can be costly. The Sierra Club will be supporting legislation that designates grant funds, particularly for low/median income cesspool owners who cannot take advantage of the tax credit made available by the law passed last session.

Click here for our educational sheet on cesspools in Hawaiʻi.

In the news:
- Hawaiʻi News Now: Cesspools could soon impact your drinking water, DOH says
- Civil Beat: From Bad to Worse: Hawaii’s $1.75 Billion Cesspool Problem