Yes, it’s a relief to know that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has raised the certification status for the Hawaii state laboratory, a facility that shoulders an important burden for Hawaii public health.
But it’s definitely not time to rest on the state’s laurels. Where facility maintenance is concerned, Hawaii has few laurels, in any case. There are any number of examples of maintenance deferred for too long, from the state convention center to the now-condemned Aloha Stadium.
This problem at hand — the deterioration at the state Department of Health’s Laboratory Division headquarters in Pearl City, with improvements still awaiting attention — has been years in the making. Following through on the course correction deserves prompt attention from the incoming administration of Gov.-elect Josh Green and Lt. Gov.-elect Sylvia Luke.
Kathleen Ho, DOH deputy director, has assured that urgent fixes now have funds; these need to be made on a timely basis. Following a May 2019 visit, the EPA found the facility to be lacking sufficient temperature and humidity controls owing to malfunctioning heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems producing condensation, mold and mildew. A provisional certification was the end result.
The lab’s critical functions make its poor condition especially concerning. This is where samples are tested each year to see that Hawaii complies with laws governing drinking and nearshore water. Those issues have surfaced in everything from sewage spills to detection of lead in schools and child-care centers.
Most notably, it is testing for COVID-19, uncovering the arrival of new variants, which are still cropping up as winter approaches.
So how could this happen? Too easily, unfortunately. In the scramble for state resources, which is especially tough when the budget is tight, even important funding requests are pared down.
As recently as this year, DOH requested $100 million to replace the old facility, which officials said was not designed to fulfill the security requirements of biohazardous materials or to handle the current volume of water testing needed.
Instead, Ho said, the Legislature discussed with DOH its most acute problems and allotted $14 million for repairs. Independently, she added, DOH hired a handyman to fix the leaks. Replacing the roof is in the queue for the department to fix in the next two years, Ho said.
The remaining funds should suffice for other projects, she added, such as refitting for biohazards, installing new air conditioning and increasing the lab’s water-testing capacity.
Ho acknowledged that at some point, the lab division may outgrow its facility, and lawmakers must be watchful for that. This lab performs such an essential duty that it merits a higher priority than, say, the shiny new objects that legislators tend to get drawn to — such as the First Responders Technology Campus and Cybersecurity Data Center envisioned for Mililani, for which they’ve appropriated $17.8 million.
At the very least, the state should be more aggressive in identifying federal funds it could tap for the upkeep of important infrastructure. Responsibility for that rests both with the governor’s office, which should have a federal liaison, and with the congressional delegation itself. There are competitive grants Hawaii should pursue.
The past few years Hawaii has experienced various public health crises, including the Red Hill water contamination debacle, so the need for vigilance through a well-equipped lab is clear. And at a time when infectious disease experts believe another pandemic is inevitable, the state needs all these functions performed well, and right here at home.
