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

SR133

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

133

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

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

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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

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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,

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BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, 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

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BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this 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