THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	89
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE clean up and investigatION OF illegal dumping and illegal structures at 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, including bicycle and automobile parts and household appliances, on Laumaile Street, in Kalihi, Oahu, and in or around nearby area streams, have been an ongoing concern that has frustrated Kalihi area residents for several years; and

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

     WHEREAS, this illegal dumping adversely affects not only the Kalihi area but all areas downstream, as explained by the coordinator of the City and County of Honolulu's 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 invites vermin, including rodents, which adds to the public health concern; and

     WHEREAS, the source of this illegal dumping includes both area residents and others who have been seen driving into the area just to dump trash; and

     WHEREAS, although community cleanup programs are ongoing, no sooner is an area cleaned, then more trash is dumped into the same area; and

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

     WHEREAS, the Legislature 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, the Legislature 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 along 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-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health's Clean Water Branch and Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch, the Honolulu Police Department, and the City and County of Honolulu's Departments of Environmental Services and Planning and Permitting are requested to investigate illegal dumping and illegal structures along Laumaile Street in Kalihi and to coordinate the cleanup pollution prevention and the enforcement of pollution, anti-dumping, and other applicable laws in that area; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of the Department of Health, the Chief of Police of the Honolulu Police Department, and the Director of the Department of Environmental Services are requested to jointly report on the measures taken to address illegal dumping and illegal structures in the Laumaile Street area and to report their findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2010; and

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

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Environment; Illegal Dumping