$43M for city sewage projects being withheld
Some $43 million earmarked for critical sewage treatment projects is being held up by the Honolulu City Council Budget Committee because of concerns over the future of a substance and mental health treatment facility that is on land proposed to be used for expansion of the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Withholding the funding could result in state and federal fines tied to consent decrees the city agreed to in 2010 to make sewage improvements in order to settle lawsuits filed by environmental groups claiming the city violated the U.S. Clean Water Act due to wastewater spills and other mishaps.
But Budget Committee members said Tuesday that they intend to restore funding for five projects in the 2017 capital improvements budget that are related to the consent decrees — as soon as officials with the Department of Environmental Services meet with operators of the Kline-Welsh Behavioral Health Center, better known as the Sand Island Behavioral Health Center.
The Sand Island plant funds being held: $25 million for return flow treatment units, $7 million for expansion of primary treatment facilities, $6.1 million for outfall equipment, $4 million for secondary treatment upgrades and $802,000 for odor control improvements.
On Tuesday the committee sent the city’s $2.3 billion operating budget and the $800 million capital improvements budget to the full Council for a final vote June 1. The new budget year begins July 1.
The behavioral health center, which first began in 1960, has 123 residential treatment beds and, including outpatient programs for clients and family members, serves more than 1,000 people annually.
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Environmental Services Director Lori Kahikina said a meeting has been scheduled for Monday among her agency, treatment center representatives, area Councilman Joey Manahan and Council Chairman Ernie Martin.
But the threat to withhold the money appears to have jarred officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Sierra Club of Hawaii Oahu Group and Kahikina, who told the Budget Committee before its vote on the budget items that “this is very concerning for us on so many levels.”
EPA representatives in town for an annual consent decree review also are “extremely concerned” and asked to meet with her on the matter today.
Her department and the EPA have a carefully crafted timetable for improvements at the plant that’s sensitive to the city’s financial constraints. “But if we show that we, as a city, we’re not committed to this consent decree stuff, they’re going to start pulling funding, they’re going to not trust us anymore,” she said. If that happens, they could choose to accelerate the schedule, she said.
“That’s a major risk that we have,” Kahikina said. “We have a good schedule … but if we fail to continue to hold their trust, they have it in their power to go back to the courts” and force the city to immediately improve the treatment system.
Additionally, Kahikina said, “the Sierra Club has already met with us, and they said they will sue, they will come after the city for that.”
Kahikina asked Council Budget Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi what she should tell EPA officials.
Kobayashi responded, “Well, once you meet (officials) about the halfway house, I’m sure it will be settled.”
After the meeting, Manahan told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser he also had no intention of holding the funding for the sewer projects.
Manahan told committee colleagues that the current plans for the Sand Island plant’s expansion would force the drug treatment facility to close or relocate from its 1-acre site. Besides clients and their families, about 50 full-time staff employees would be affected if it is forced to close or relocate.
“These are probably some of the toughest cases anywhere in the state, and they really have nowhere to go,” Manahan said. “What needs to happen is a discussion between the Department of Environmental Services and the folks at the drug treatment facility.”
Officials from the facility did not testify Tuesday. But in a prepared statement on the situation, clinic director L. Mason Henderson said, “Even if everything went smoothly and on schedule, it would require an expenditure of roughly $10 million (to relocate) and a substantial two-year reduction in the availability of critically needed services.”
“The great majority of the clients we admit are either homeless, indigent, confined to the State Hospital or our prison system, and have no other resources,” Henderson wrote.
Anthony Aalto, chairman of the Sierra Club Oahu Chapter, said he was baffled by the controversy.
“We ought to be able to chew gum and walk at the same time,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for public officials; they have a difficult task to do … but I just think this is kind of an unnecessary way of approaching this. These are essential infrastructure projects, they are fully funded and you can’t spend the money on anything else. Let’s not run the risk of falling afoul of the EPA.”
22 responses to “$43M for city sewage projects being withheld”
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Long past time we sent Ann packing. We have the worst sewer infrastructure. We dump sewage into our near shore waters all the time. This should be at the top of every budget list.
I couldn’t agree more. The City Council is filled with a bunch of obstructionists that cost taxpayers millions of dollstd. Kobayashi and Ernie Martin are the chief culprits who keep obstructing things and never really offer solutions……I stand corrected after all Ernie found money in the budget to fund his pet church projects!!!
A New Day in Hawai’i begins when clueless CALDWELL resigns!!!
Mind you, this ALL stems from deferred maintenance from back when Mufi was Mayor. The EPA was threatening to mandate that ALL sewer work be done back then due to the continual delays. Mufi’s response to them back then was to beg for more time as he claimed the expense of what they were wanting, would cause financial hardship. Then he IMMEDIATELY bogged us all down with this 6 BILLION dollar price tag for rail.
Totally wrong. Harris wouldn’t raise sewer fees in his quest to be governor despite the consent decree. Mufi warned of sewer infrastructure problems in his campaign.
Mufi was objecting to the fact that despite a 23.5% fee raise to cover Harris negligence, EPA wanted city to immediately go to secondary at the same time we were paying millions to upgrade the collection system. Mufi worked a deal to do both over 30 years sparing uniformed people like you a $300/month sewer bill.
And by the way, there is no connection between sewers and rail; each has dedicated funding sources. For people like you, ignorance is bliss.
still blaming Harris for everything. No way, Mufi never did nothing and Caldwell is even worse. You clowns keep raising the sewer and water fees and nothing to show for it. Would it be better if rail money was diverted? Not with this gang of fools in charge.
How cum da Mayor and his “smart” staff cannot coordinate and make sure we have a win-win for all parties affected? I no like all da treatment folks scatter and become homeless….they going be a BIG impact on our homeless situation and suck up valuable, scare services…another reason for a NEW Mayor…no can handle…
Spot on. Deceleration is rampant in the Cities bureaucracy … and the State has its share also!!
Council has to do this to force the fake mayor to do his job. Everything the city does is sloppy or incomplete or not even attempted. But the clown still claims victory on all his commercials.
Infrastructure would be the first thing I’d tackle if I’m elected Mayor. I also hope to be finishing up my PhD in Civil Engineering or Biological engineering, either one, heck, I will have earned it!! Then I can start paying off my student loans!! #Kaaihue4Mayor #Kaaihue4Congress #Kaaihue4Office
So, have you already been accepted into the PdD program?
You will NEVER be elected to any office. We all know what kind of idi*ot you are.
The halfway house will have five years to find a new, suitable location, and the city will assist.
Great another story about the total Incompetence of our city officials. Good job folks keep voting for the Dems and with a one party state you get Zero Accountability. Amazing just how much Incompetence goes on daily here. Is anyone paying attention or maybe people have to work so much to feed thier family they don’t read the paper ?
You do know that City Council
Is non-partisan? Of course you did.
Another of thousands of daily examples of the utter incompetency of our elected bureaucrats, city and state government agencies and offices.
Exactly why I have said over and over and will continue to do so, just another day in the little 8th world of Hawaii Nei.
I rest my case.
I don’t see the problem. We all know the City will eventually move the drug addicted and mentally ill homeless to Waianae or Kalihi anyway.
43 million is a drop in the bucket. We will need 43 billion to update the water and sewer system. It will make the Rail child’s play.
You can fume all you want….you get what you voted for…
and to those who didn’t vote…shame on you!
It doesn’t matter–as a recent SA article stated, most elected representatives are running unopposed. They do what they want for the highest bidder.
The city should make it a priority to upgrade the treatment plant. You will have more then enough time to move the treatment center if needed.
Save those 5 gallon buckets in case you need a pot to do your business. Two 2x4s cut about 1 foot long should help spread the load.