The fine has been imposed following the failure on part of HHFDC’s predecessor, the Hawaii Community and Development to close over 100 large-capacity cesspools by March 2009, including the 13 cesspools at Jack Hall Memorial Housing as per a compliance agreement signed in April 2005.
In addition to paying the fine for missing the March 2009 deadline, the new settlement agreement requires Hawaii Housing Finance and Development to close the cesspools by March 2011.
EPA director of water division at Pacific Southwest region Alexis Strauss said that while many large-capacity cesspools have been closed, those owners and operators who still have such wastewater systems are overdue in taking steps to comply with the 2005 ban.
“EPA will continue to bring compliance actions to protect Hawaii’s water resources as there are large-capacity cesspools still in use by restaurants, hotels, office complexes and multiple dwellings in violation of EPA’s regulations,” Strauss said.
