Hawai‘i County Municipal Wastewater is the Single Largest Source of
Ocean Pollutants on the Kona Coast: The
Factual Evidence.
February 1, 2020
R. H. Bennett M.S., Ph.D.*
Applied Life Sciences LLC
The Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment
Plant (KWWTP) discharges approximately 1.8
million gallons of nutrient-rich, partially-disinfected
wastewater to a sump near Honokohau Harbor each day, and consistently, for almost 25 years.
The Wastewater Discharge Sump (WDS), according to the
Department of Health documents was a temporary facility pending the completion
of the water reuse irrigation project funded by the EPA in the early 1990ʻs.
The reuse project never materialized despite the EPA funding and
contract. The site of the WDS is about 0.3
miles North of the Kealakehe Police Station and 0.1 of a mile East of Queen
Ka‘ahumanu Hwy. The elevation there
is 80 feet. The piped water drains into a hole, at the
sump site. It instantaneously(rapidly
or immediately might be better,
instantaneously means in a second drains through the fractured lava and to the brackish
groundwater below. The wastewater flows into the sea with the groundwater. At the wall on the East end of Honokohau
Harbor, about 3.16 million gallons of brackish groundwater and
wastewater flows daily into the
harbor and then out to sea. (Peterson 2009).
The urban wastewater contains many
pollutants of concern; key among these are the nutrients nitrogen and
phosphorus. In all oligotrophic (low nutrient) tropical waters, the
addition of wastewater nutrients is detrimental to the long-term vitality of the
nearshore ecosystems. Neither the county nor the State regulates or monitors the nutrients disposed at the WDS. On
occasion, consultants have determined documented the nutrient concentrations at
the WDS. Based on WDS data provided by Brown and Caldwell [1], they estimate
annual disposal of nitrogen at 320 thousand
pounds per year, and for phosphorus 36
thousand pounds per year. This nutrient load is the rough equivalent of
thousands of bags of fertilizer dumped into the nearshore waters each year. Over the 27-year sump use period, 8.64
million pounds of nitrogen contaminated the Class AA Pristine waters of the
Kona Coast.
By many orders of magnitude, the County of Hawai‘i is the largest single
source polluter of our ocean. Had this
discharge begun through a pipeline, it would have been deemed unlawful at the
time. Yet somehow, we are to believe that dumping the water into a tidally
influenced anchialine or subterranean estuary[2]
is lawful.
Department of Health Policy: Discharges to Groundwater Not Subject to
Federal Regulations
Official Hawai‘i Department of
Health correspondence states that the brackish groundwater near the WDS, by policy is waters of the
State and not subject to the US Clean Water Act[3].
“Discharges to groundwater are
not subject to NPDES requirements. If
there is a hydrological connection
to nearby surface water, the DOH may require the discharges to apply for an
NPDES permit. As a matter of policy, DOH
has chosen to have all underground injection discharges regulated under our UIC
program and not under the NPDES permit program.”
It is for this policy decision the nutrients disposed of in the DWS are
not regulated. There is no record of the DOH ever requiring an NPDES permit for
any underground discharge, even though hydrologic connections to the sea are
very well known in Hawai‘i. The
"sump" at Kealakehe has never been issued a permit from the
Underground Injection Control (UIC) program.
Nor does it have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) permit.
Groundwater in West Hawai‘i is a Subterranean Estuary
Science
and Common sense and science recognize virtually
all groundwater not contained in upper elevation dikes is hydrologically
connected to the nearshore Hawai‘ian waters of the United States. Groundwater and any wastewater
it may contain flows by gravity along
paths of least resistance to the sea[4].
As such, the Clean Water Act provisions apply,
including the permit requirement.
The EPA states, “The CWA made it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into
navigable waters unless a permit was obtained. EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit program controls discharges. Point
sources are discrete conveyances such as pipes or constructed ditches.
Individual homes that are connected to a municipal system, use a septic system,
or do not have a surface discharge do not need an NPDES permit; however,
industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their
discharges go directly to surface waters”[5]. Courts have ruled that wastewater discharged
to groundwater that flows to the sea by? discrete conveyances is a direct
discharge[6]. This issue is now before the Supreme Court,
and a decision is due in the Summer of 2020.
The Director of the Hawai‘i
Department of Health declared at a West Hawai‘i forum that there is no evidence to show that this waste discharge is flowing into
the sea and harmful[7]. This
statement has two fundamental problems.
The CWA does not require proof of harm.
It requires an NPDES permit if pollutants are discharged. Secondly, the
statement employs a fallacy called Negative Proof. The absence of evidence
to prove harm is NOT proof of the absence of harm. Also, until such flows are measured and
documented, there will be no evidence. Such statements do not serve the "public
interest." The State Constitution
requires that state policy on resources serve the public interest.
The following chronology of
scientific reports reveals overwhelming and conclusive evidence of pollutant discharge to waters of the United States from the
WDS. To our knowledge, there are no scientific journal reports demonstrating where that groundwater fails to migrate to the sea on any island
system in the world.
The data abundantly shows that the Class AA Waters
of the State are degraded, contrary to statute[8] and contrary to the
Federal Clean Water Act in that such pollution is not prevented or remediated
as required[9].
The Evidence for the Hydrologic Connection of Wastewater from Kealakehe WWTP to the Waters
of the United States.
1. Hunt, C.D., Jr., 2007,
Ground-Water Nutrient Flux to Coastal Waters and Numerical Simulation of
Wastewater Injection at Kihei, Maui, Hawai‘i: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific
Investigations Report 2006–5283, 69 p.
This extensive USGS
investigation proves that wastewater released
underground at the DWS, joins the groundwater and flows to the sea and delivers
nutrients there and delivers nutrients at that point. Several chemical
markers of wastewater emerged in the test wells and Honokohau Harbor waters. A rebuttal to this data states, without documented substantiation, that conditions
are substantially different along the Kona Coast, and the transport of water
and nutrients to the sea does NOT occur. is without documented substantiation. The rebuttal arose from anecdotal conclusions
by a DOH employee about a WDS dye test with visual as opposed to standardized spectrophotometric dye
detection tests of the ocean waters. Simply stated, since the DOH employee did
not visually see the dye emerge in the sea, there was no hydrologic connection.
2. Paytan, Adina, et al.
"Submarine groundwater discharge: An important source of new inorganic
nitrogen to coral reef ecosystems." Limnology and Oceanography 51.1
(2006): 343-348.
In this elaborate hydrology study,
groundwater and nitrogen flow to the shore were determined in many coastal sites. At the Kaloko site, groundwater flows
were determined by Radon isotopic measurements to show 2730 liters per meter of
shoreline per hour or about 720 gallons.
Daily Each day that amounts to 17 thousand gallons per meter of
coastline. The added nitrogen is 1.63
grams per meter per day. In one year, each meter of shoreline receives 39
pounds of nitrogen. The Kahana site
nitrogen was .74 grams per meter per day and a lower flux of 1440 liters per
meter.
The authors state, “Specifically,
we caution that the effect of nutrient enrichment of coastal
groundwater aquifers from domestic sewage or fertilizer may
initiate eutrophication problems and cause alteration of community function and
structure with significant biological, economic, and social implications."
Thus in 2007, renowned
scientists from Stanford University gave us ample reason to invoke the
Precautionary Principle.
3. 2006, A REVIEW OF COASTAL
MONITORING DATA FOR DEVELOPMENTS
IN WEST HAWAI`I , County of Hawai`i by: Marine Science Department at the
University of Hawai`i at Hilo
The U.H. researchers
reviewed environmental impact statements (EIS) data for the developments in West Hawai‘i. Most EIS lacked sufficient data and time
frames for meaningful interpretation. Some development areas that had
sufficient data showed a significant increase in ocean nitrate. One data set includes a near-shore golf
course. The university recommended a comprehensive ocean-monitoring program for
the Kona Coast. To date, no such program exists, and there is a lack of useful
chronological data. Such malfeasance serves only those officials that choose to exploit the Fallacy of Negative Proof.
4. 2008, Johnson, Adam G., et al.
"Aerial infrared imaging reveals large nutrient‐rich groundwater inputs to the ocean." Geophysical Research
Letters 35.15
In a continuation of Dr. C Glenn’s work, they
show cold, nutrient-rich water entering Honokohau Harbor at the eastern
headwall springs. Their data is best
shown in the graphic.
The coldest and most
nutrient-rich water (dark blue) enters the harbor from the east (note yellow circle) and flows outward while mixing with the warmer seawater. The cold fresher water floats on seawater.
They estimate the flow at the headwall of 3.16 MGD (million gallons per
day). The DWS is 0.6-mile upslope and
discharges 1.8 MGD. It will be near
impossible to argue that none of the wastewater is in the harbor flow. The DWS
is the single largest source of nutrients in the watershed.
5. 2008 Parsons, Michael L., et
al. "A multivariate assessment of the coral ecosystem health of two embayments
on the lee of the island of Hawai ‘i." Marine pollution bulletin 56.6:1138-1149.
University of Hawai‘i professor M. Parsons working with W. Walsh
and others collected massive volumes of historical and current data. The data trends are apparent. Since 1991 the
water quality of the ocean near Honokohau has degraded. 1991 is the year wastewater disposal began at
the DWS. The impairment includes:
“A comparison of the slope and intercept confidence
intervals indicates that the groundwater entering Honokohau Harbor has twice as
much nitrate + nitrite and five times as much phosphate versus two decades
earlier. The differences in the nutrient data analysis results between this
study and O.I. Consultants (1991) indicate that the nutrient enrichment present today
has occurred since 1991, and therefore after the harbor expansion in 1978.”
6.
Knee, K.L., Street, J.H., Grossman, E.E., and Paytan, Adina, 2008,
Submarine groundwater discharge and fate along the coast of Kaloko-Honokohau
National Historical Park, Hawai'i—Part 2, Spatial and Temporal Variations in
Salinity, Radium-Isotope Activity, and Nutrient Concentrations in Coastal
Waters, December 2003–April 2006: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific
Investigations Report 2008-5128, 31 p.
This study conducted from
Honokohau north through the National Historic Park concludes:
· Fresh
groundwater is the primary source of nitrate, phosphate, and silica to the
coastal ocean in the park.
· Nutrient
concentrations in the fresh groundwater end-member are similar throughout the
park.
· Honoköhau
Harbor and, to a lesser extent, Freeze Face Cove are "hot spots" for
submarine groundwater discharge. The volume of fresh groundwater entering the
coastal ocean at Honoköhau Harbor's mouth is more than ten times that of an
equivalent length (~100 m) of park shoreline. Any change in quality or quantity
of submarine groundwater discharge from Honokōhau Harbor would likely affect adjacent coastal
areas in the park.
7. Knee, Karen L., et al. "Nutrient inputs to the coastal ocean from
submarine groundwater discharge in a groundwater-dominated system: relation to
land use (Kona coast, Hawai'i, USA)." Limnology and Oceanography 55.3
(2010): 1105.
This 2010 research confirms
higher nutrient concentrations in nearshore coastal waters. The water near Honokohau is particularly
nutrient-rich. The two sites at
Honokohau T9 and T10 had nutrient levels five and three times higher than the
nearby open ocean. Given that the groundwater flows are more significant in
Honokohau than the nearby National Historic Park (Knee 2009),
the data is very indicative of a point source
discharge at the harbor. Moreover, the
nutrient levels at T3 Kekaha Kai more closely resemble open ocean water. This data suggests that nutrients in the
groundwater are not uniformly distributed along the coastline.
8. Dialer, Meghan, C. Smith, and
C. Glenn. "Preventing the introduction and spread of nutrient driven
invasive algal blooms and coral reef degradation in West Hawai’i." Final Report to the Hawai'i Coral Reef Initiative
(9/30/2011). Grant Number NA09NOS4260242 (2011).
This study measured marine plant uptake of
nitrogen in the nearshore waters of the Kona Coast. Stable isotopes of nitrogen provide
information about the source of the nitrogen.
The heavier isotopes tend to originate in sewage and the like and not
common to other sources. Values greater than eight were found in
marine plants at the mouth of Honokohau and values of 2 or less South of
Honokohau but not in Kailua Bay. This data points to the WSD as the source of
the heavy isotope of N. Some may argue
it is from the small septic systems in
the harbor, yet given the flows of over 3 MGD through the harbor, the mass
balance of nitrogen indicates a very large source of N.
9. Glenn, C. R., et al.
"Lahaina groundwater tracer study–Lahaina, Maui, Hawai ‘i. Final Interim
Report. Prepared for the State of Hawai‘i 'i Department of Health, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and
Development Center." (2012): 463.
This Maui study is
relevant to the Honokohau WDS to the extent that it proved a discharge to
groundwater does flow into the sea, and nutrients in the wastewater are
conveyed to the waters of the United States via a hydrologic connection. How the hydrology at the DWS could be so
different as NOT to allow wastewater to flow to the sea is beyond reasonable
scientific explanation.
10. STATE OF HAWAI‘I WATER
QUALITY MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT REPORT 2014:
Integrated Report to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and the U.S. Congress
Pursuant to §303(d) and §305(b), Clean Water Act
(P.L. 97-117) The Hawai‘i Department of Health
This biennial state report
of impaired waters to the EPA is? required.
Honokohau and Honokohau Beach have been listed under §303(d) of the CWA.
These waters have been officially listed since 2006 and every two years
after that. The 2014 listing shows the waters to be out of compliance for Total
Nitrogen (T.N.), Nitrate, Total Phosphate (T.P.), and Phosphate. Once listed, the CWA requires remediation
and practices put into place to assure the no further degradation occurs. The county and the State have been knowingly
negligent while, in the face of the Federal Listing , have
repeatedly denied in public communications that there is no evidence indicating
a problem. They fail to mention the CWA does
not require proof of harm. This
decade-long pattern of obfuscation is intentional.
No reasonable scientific argument can be advanced to
suggest the thousands of pounds of nutrients disposed of annually in the DWS
causes no further degradation of the receiving waters of Honokohau. Rather the science cited herein indicates
incremental deterioration of the receiving waters is ongoing.
11. Prouty, Nancy G., et al.
"Groundwater-derived nutrient and trace element transport to a nearshore
Kona coral ecosystem: Experimental mixing model results." Journal
of Hydrology: Regional Studies (2016).
To quote Prouty et al., “Treated wastewater effluent
was the primary source for nutrient enrichment downstream at the Honokohau
Harbor site. Conservative mixing for some constituents, such as nitrate +
nitrite, illustrates the effectiveness of physical mixing to maintain oceanic
concentrations in the colloid (0.02–0.45 _m) and
truly dissolved (<0 .02="" span="">_m) forms. In contrast, the non-conservative behavior of phosphate
highlights the importance of surface complexation reactions that can lead to
higher concentrations based on conservative mixing alone. Results from this
physiochemical mixing experiment demonstrates how the relative availability of P
can shift with adsorption behavior, affecting the mobility of phosphate in the
environment.
12. D’Angelo, Cecilia, and Jörg Wiedenmann. "Impacts of nutrient
enrichment on coral reefs: new perspectives and implications for coastal
management and reef survival." Current Opinion in Environmental
Sustainability 7 (2014): 82-93.
The
scientific synthesis reported in this journal article shows that nutrient
excess in coral habitat contributes to and synergizes with the bleaching
effects of water temperature. The authors state, “The presented synthesis of the literature
suggests that the effects of nutrient enrichment and eutrophication beyond
certain thresholds are negative for the physiological performance of the coral
individual and ecosystem functioning. Hence,
the immediate implementation of knowledge-based nutrient management strategies
is crucial for coral reef survival”.
This issue is a
global concern of particular environmental and economic importance to Hawai‘i. Much of the coral reef offshore of Waikiki is
dead and covered with invasive algae. The value of the Hawai‘ian reef system is
approximately 360 million dollars per year to tourist and recreation industries
and the overall asset value of 10 billion dollars in 2004.[10] Thus there can be no mistake; successfully
controlling the nutrient flows to the nearshore waters at Honokohau and
elsewhere throughout the State should be a high priority for a broad range of
justifications that transcend the law.
13. Peterson, Richard N., William C. Burnett, Craig R. Glenn, and Adam G.
Johnson. "Quantification of point‐source groundwater discharges to the ocean from the
shoreline of the Big Island, Hawai‘i." Limnology and Oceanography 54,
no. 3 (2009): 890-904.
This
report from the Craig Glenn laboratory at UH Manoa used Radon isotope ratios to
estimate the size of submarine water discharges along the Kona Coast. Specifically, they measured groundwater flux
in Honokohau Harbor. They report volumes
of water that flow into the harbor of up to
twelve thousand cubic meters or 3.17 MGD. Groundwater test well upslope and
away from the DWS in Koloko Honokohau NHP contains total nitrogen at 970
micrograms per liter. By calculation,
the background brackish water delivers 255 pounds of nitrogen per day into the
harbor and out into the coastal waters.
Again, these waters are Listed Impaired by nitrogen by the State and the
EPA.
"The
physical behavior of the brackish groundwater distinguishes it as a
subterranean estuary (STE). Oceanic tidal forcing
within the subterranean estuary drives the recirculated seawater component of
SGD
(subterranean groundwater discharge). For
example, high tidal levels and wave activity can drive seawater into the subsurface, with subsequent
discharge (Moore 1999). In all cases, the permeability of the aquifer(s) exerts
an important control on hydraulic conductivity. It is the combined presence of
several of these forces that led Zektser (2000) to hypothesize that tropical islands, such as Hawai‘i,
would have disproportionately high SGD fluxes compared to continental areas”. Practically, this means if we could peel back
the surface lava down to sea level, a myriad of geologic channels would be seen
rising and falling, flowing in and out, just as an estuary on the surface. This tidal flux constitutes a profound
hydrologic connection with the sea and validates the existence of the STE.
14. Johannesson, K. H.,
Palmore, C. D., Fackrell, J., Prouty, N. G., Swarzenski, P. W., Chevis, D. A.,
... & Burdige, D. J. (2017). Rare-earth element behavior during
groundwater–seawater mixing along the Kona Coast of Hawai‘i. Geochimica et
Cosmochimica Acta, 198, 229-258.
This
study examined Rare Earth Elements (REE) in groundwater and nearshore marine
waters. The REEʻs are uniformly
distributed in-ground and seawater along the coast as they derive from
groundwater communicating to the sea.
There is one anomaly and an anthropogenic source of one REE. "A large
positive 60 gadolinium (Gd) anomaly characterizes groundwater from the vicinity
of the WWTF. The positive Gd anomaly can be traced to the coastal ocean,
providing further evidence of the impact of SGD on the coastal waters”.
Gadolinium
is used as an intravenous contrast media for specific types of MRIʻs. It is rapidly excreted in the urine and feces
at a rate of 90% in 24 hours. This excretion explains its presence in the
wastewater of the KWWTP.
15. Bennett, R.H., Gardinali, P.R., (2019)
The presence of Sucralose in wastewater and the coastal waters of West Hawai‘i. (In preparation for the H2Open Journal)
Sucralose
is ubiquitous in municipal wastewaters in developed countries. The artificial sweeter is present in over 300
retail products. The most popular
product is the sweetener Splenda. Once
consumed, the triple chlorination of the
sugar molecule prevents its digestion by the human and is rapidly excreted unchanged in the feces.
In the waste treatment process, Sucralose is remarkably stable and not
degraded. As such, it is used
internationally as an indicator of wastewater contamination in drinking water
and surface waters.
Sucralose
was identified in 6 of 13 nearshore sites in W. Hawai‘i. The highest concentration at almost four
times the method detection limit was found in water along the submarine wall on
the East end of Honokohau Harbor.
Wastewater at the end of the treatment scheme had a concentration of
1000 times that found in the harbor. Kua
Bay and Kailua Bay levels were below the detection limit. Other sources of Sucralose at the same mass found in 1.8 MGD of wastewater are
highly unlikely. This data is further
evidence of the hydrologic connection of the wastewater disposal sump to the
waters of the United States.
PUBLIC
POLICY REGARDING OCEAN POLLUTION BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The
Public Trust Doctrine
Well
before the County of Hawai‘i should choose to continue to use the DWS or SUMP
as a primary or secondary means of KWWTP wastewater disposal, a Total Maximum
Daily Loading Study must be executed in the Honokohou Kealakehe Watershed. When the
determination that the daily nutrient loading is excessive, mitigations to
remove at least 90% of the nutrients before being discharged into the brackish
groundwater must be activated. Such treatment is economical and in practice in
the continental US). These
actions must be done whether or not the Supreme Court rules that an NPDES[11] the
permit is needed. It must be done to
fulfill the Countyʻs constitutional obligation to manage wastes and the ocean
in the Public Trust.
In strong language,
the Hawai`i Supreme Court described the public trust doctrine as “the right of
the people to have the waters protected for their use [which] demands adequate
provision for traditional and customary Hawai‘ian rights, wildlife, maintenance
of ecological balance and scenic beauty, and the preservation and enhancement
of the waters . . .”
"For the benefit of present and future generations, the State and its political subdivisions shall conserve and protect Hawai‘i's natural beauty and all-natural resources, including land, water, air, minerals, and energy sources, and shall promote the development and utilization of these resources in a manner consistent with their conservation and in furtherance of the self-sufficiency of the State. All public natural resources are held in trust by the State for the benefit of the people."(Article XI Constitution)
"For the benefit of present and future generations, the State and its political subdivisions shall conserve and protect Hawai‘i's natural beauty and all-natural resources, including land, water, air, minerals, and energy sources, and shall promote the development and utilization of these resources in a manner consistent with their conservation and in furtherance of the self-sufficiency of the State. All public natural resources are held in trust by the State for the benefit of the people."(Article XI Constitution)
Class AA Pristine waters
The marine
waters near the Kona Coast are Class AA per the State of Hawai‘i Administrative
Rules § 11-54-3 (c)(1) The rule states,
“ It is the
objective of class AA waters that these waters remain in their natural pristine
state as nearly as possible with an absolute minimum of pollution or alteration
of water quality from any human-caused source or actions. To the extent possible the wilderness
character of these areas shall be protected.”
These directives are clear and not
optional. However, the state has allowed
human-caused alterateration when it permits tons of nutrients from the KWWTP to
flow into the ocean in clear defiance of its own regulations. The message this conveys to the County of Hawai‘i
is that water quality rule violations have no consequences.
The Precautionary Principle
International Law and
treaties establish the Precautionary Principle[12]. It says that when science is not clear about
the environmental consequences of an action or policy and convincing that
countries will err on the side of caution until such time are science clarifies
the issue.
In the matter of the KWWTP
sump discharge polluting the nearshore waters, applying the precautionary
principle, we can document that such discharge is harmful to the marine
environment. Tragically, nutrient
pollution effects synergize with ocean
warming accelerating the demise of the coral reef. There is little we can do about ocean
warming, thus amplifying the need for greater precautions.
Reasonable Scientific Certainty
In this matter of the KWWTP
wastewater disposal in the "sump," the demand for scientific proof is
absurd as no such proof can be established.
“In contrast, all
scientific knowledge is tentative and provisional, and nothing is final. There is no such thing as ultimate proven
knowledge in science. The currently
accepted theory of a phenomenon is simply the best explanation for it among all
available alternatives. Its status as
the accepted theory is contingent on what other theories are available and
might suddenly change tomorrow if there appears a better theory or new evidence
that might challenge the accepted theory. No knowledge or theory (which
embodies scientific knowledge) is final.[13]
In public policy and the courts, demands for “scientific proof” are
simple ploys to obfuscate. Instead, the phrase "reasonable scientific certainty" is
the scientists' statement that all the evidence in the matter points to a
reasonable and logical conclusion. It is
a conclusion not formed by opinion and the absense of data.[14]
We can conclude from the preceding evidence that wastewater from the KWWTP
discharged and percolated into the fractured lava 0.6 miles from coastline
emerges in toto or in part to the nearshore waters of the State.When the tests
of reasonable scientific certainty or logical scientific conclusions are
applied, it is shown that all available evidence supports the conclusion as does
common sense. Water flows downhill under
the influence of gravity.
No contrary evidence is available, yet there is ample speculation that is absent of
any data that there might be an alternative
hypothesis. Such speculation is another
tool for obfuscation that only confuses and delays the acceptance of the
obvious and sound scientific conclusions.
Conclusion
From 2006 and on,
scientific studies by notable scientists from Standford University, the US Geological
Survey, The University of Hawai‘i, Manoa, and Hilo, and other prominent
research universities provide vast arrays of data that describe the hydrology
of the West Hawai‘i plain and elevated
concentrations of marine nitrogen and phosphorus atypical of tropical
islands. Moreover, the isotopic
signature of nitrogen in nearshore algae indicates the source is human waste. This delta N 15 ratio is highest in the urban
areas and most prominent in the Honokohou shores.
Historical data evaluated by Parsons clearly shows a trend for increasing
nitrogen coincident with the new use of the sump for wastewater discharge.
Finally, two chemicals used exclusively for human applications provide a
unique tracer. If these elements are found in marine waters, their presence undisputedly
indicates a human waste source.
Galidinium is a rare earth element and can be found in waters at
extremely low concentrations. Galidinium
was the only rare earth element found to be elevated in the near coastal
waters. The element is compounded for
use as an IV contrast media for enhancing the resolution of medical MRIʻs.
Galidinum is 90% excreted in the urine within 24 hours after injection. Elevated Galidiniun in the waters of
Honokohau Harbor is conclusive for wastewaters' presence.
Another marker for human wastewater is Sucralose. It is excreted quickly in the urine, is very
stable, and persists through wastewater treatment and in the open ocean. In a recent study, Wastwater from KWWTP had
the highest concentration, and the headwall springs at Honokohau Harbor had the
second-highest concentration. By far,
the most logical source at 1.8 MGD is the water from the sump and KWWTP.
The array of evidence and data indicating the source of nutrient
pollution by the KWWTP Sump is massive.
Evidence to the contrary does not seem to exist in scientific
publications. Thus the most reasonable and logical conclusion and the only
evidence-based supposition is that wastewater from KWWTP is flowing into
nearshore waters of Hawai‘i and the United States.
People will continue to speculate and obfuscate the issue, yet absent
data, the words are hollow arguments.
The evidence provided herein is sufficient from many perspectives of
science and public policy. Calls for more research, such as a fluorescent dye testing as done in Maui by Glenn et al. (see 9. Above)
will be an expensive delay tactic that only reiterates the findings already
published in peer-reviewed journals. The conclusions about KWWTP wastewater
contamination of the ocean are constructed within a reasonable scientific
certainty.
This debate is not new; it plods
on now for 27 years in spite of the scientific evidence. The pollution
continues, and the ocean environment is harmed.
The Hawai‘i Constitution holds that stateʻs resources are held in public
trust, and it is to that trust and science that government must account.
----END---
* Dr. Bennett researches
water quality in stream, estuarian, and ocean environments. Experience spans
the past 40 years; twenty of those years
in West Hawai‘i. Dr. Bennett is the
immediate past chairmen of the County of Hawai‘i Environmental Management
Commission. He was recently appointed to
chair the Kona Section of the Water Keepers Alliance International. He is a microbiologist specializing in
Environmental Medical Microbiology.
References
[1]
Draft
Environmental Impact Statement Kealakehe Plant Upgrade http://oeqc2.doh.Hawai‘i.gov/EA_EIS_Library/2019-02-23-HA-DEIS-Kealakehe-WWTP-R1-Upgrade.pdf
[2]
Bishop, R. E., Humphreys, W. F., Cukrov, N., Žic, V., Boxshall, G. A.,
Cukrov, M., ... & Sket, B. (2015). ‘Anchialine’redefined as a subterranean
estuary in a crevicular or cavernous geological setting. Journal of
Crustacean Biology, 35(4), 511-514.
[5]
https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act
[9]
CFR § 130.7 Total maximum daily loads
(TMDL) and individual water quality-based effluent limitations
[10]
Cesar, Herman SJ, and Pieter Van
Beukering. "Economic valuation of the coral reefs of Hawai'i." Pacific
Science 58.2 (2004): 231-242.
[12]
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