Submit Testimonies in Support of Clean Water
by Monday February 12, 9AM
- If this is your first time on capitol.hawaii.gov, register to create an account.
- Simply fill out the the easy “Submit Testimony” form.
You will only need to register once, but testimony must be submitted for each bill separately. Have the bill numbers handy – HB1892, HB2066, HB2743. See bill description below. You need to submit testimony for all 3 bills.
Simple Sample Message:
I am in favor of this legislation to clean up our water and convert cesspools. I am frustrated by the lack of progress up to now.
(If you or your ohana have personal experience with illness or infection from our beaches/water, or if you have experience with overflowing cesspools in your neighborhood, you may wish to briefily mention this.)
Why Now?
- Our bays, beaches and rivers are becoming open sewage pipes (see Surfrider reports about our bays, rivers and beaches https://bwtf.surfrider.org/explore)
- Over 88,000 cesspools in Hawai’i discharge more than 53 million gallons of sewage into the ground every day. This pollution can reach groundwater, streams and the coastal ocean, spreading pathogens into the environment and making waters unsafe.
- Sewage pollution contains chemical contaminants and many types of harmful bacteria, parasites, and viruses that can expose everyone who comes into contact with wastewater pollution, (including in our neighborhoods, beaches and bays), to gastrointestinal illness and infections like sepsis and MRSA.
- There are a series of bills up for testimony and for vote. We need to provide testimony for these bills NOW.
BIll Description
- HB1892: accelerates deadlines, appropriates funds for pilot project, establishes income tax credit for upgrading or conversion
- HB2066: low-interest loans to eligible homeowners for upgrade, conversion, or connection of cesspools
- HB2743: requires counties to have wastewater management plan, expansion of sewer systems, pollution fees for existing cesspools, use of fee revenues to eliminate, reduce, or mitigate impacts of cesspools, including expansion of sewers and grants and low-interest loans to property owners
RE-SCHEDULED -Talk Story with Sendator Mazie
Feb 15th Talk Story with Senator Mazie Hirono Cancelled but will be Re-Scheduled.
Watch for new date and time very soon.