With Halloween still visible in the rear-view mirror, perhaps it bears noting that the Affordable Care Act is still alive and not in the grave where congressional critics have labored to put it. In fact, the period for enrolling in “Obamacare” began Thursday and will run through Dec. 15.

Hawaii individuals and companies wanting to buy through the ACA still can go through the federal portal (healthcare.gov) to get whatever subsidies they can, or buy ACA-certified plans off the exchange. Check benefits and costs — subsidies are lower, but so are the premiums, on average.

Traces of pineapple chemicals in Waipahu well

First and foremost, it must be stressed that the water remains safe to drink. This emphasis, after trace levels of the chemical DBCP (1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane) were detected in water samples collected at the Waipahu Wells IV well during routine testing. The levels were far below the Environmental Protection Agency’s and state’s Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for DBCP. Additionally, DBCP is filtered out at Board of Water Supply treatment facilities before water even goes out to consumers.

DBCP was a soil fumigant and plant-parasite pesticide once used in pineapple cultivation. That era is long gone, but every so often, lingering traces emerge as reminders of Hawaii’s plantation history.