[IB Publisher's note: Editor Brad Parson's identified that the period for accepting testimony on this issue was extended to December 3rd 2010. The e-mail address for your comments is cleanwaterbranch@doh.hawaii.gov]
By Staff on 21 November 2010 in the Garden Island -
(http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_c3db6c18-f541-11df-a407-001cc4c002e0.html)
Image above: One of several shrimp ponds being prepared in March 2010 for use in Kekaha. Photo by Juan Wilson.
[IB Editor's note: If Sunrise Capital Incorporated, the operators of the Kekaha shrimp ponds, are given permission to discharge 25 million gallons per day of shrimp effluent into the Pacific Ocean at Kai Wai Ele Stream we will likely have another environmental disaster on the westside reefs the next time there is a shrimp viral epidemic. You can testify in person, by letter or even email. See details below and previous articles on the subject.]
A public hearing on the proposed draft federal permit for a controversial Kekaha shrimp farm is on Tuesday, the 23rd of November, 2010 at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Waimea Theatre.
An informational meeting regarding the proposed draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for the farm begins at 4 p.m., said Joanna Seto, Engineering Section supervisor of the state Department of Health Clean Water Branch.
The written public-comment period regarding the farm’s proposed NPDES permit closes at 4:30 p.m. that day.
Comments may be submitted via mail or e-mail before that deadline, and all timely submitted statements received by the DOH, including those made at the public hearing, will be retained and considered prior to decision-making, she said.
The e-mail address is cleanwaterbranch@doh.hawaii.gov, and the mailing address is Clean Water Branch, Environmental Management Division, State Department of Health, P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, HI 96801-3378.
Oral or written statements on the proposed permit may be presented or submitted at the public hearing.
At present the shrimp-pond circulation water effluent is piped to the sedimentation canals system, Seto said.
The shrimp-pond water in the sedimentation basin percolates and evaporates away and is not presently discharged into the ocean, she said.
[IB Editor's note: This last became an issue when the previous shrimp farm operation on this site had a die-off of shrimp due to a virus in 2004. This is not a highly unusual event in shrimp farming. Millions of gallons of deceased shrimp had to be drained into the ocean to clear the site. This had damaging effects on the reefs in Kekaha. It is when things go wrong that there is hell to pay.]
Ground-water testing is not required by the NPDES permit, which regulates discharges to surface waters.
The Solid Waste Permit for the adjacent county Kekaha Landfill requires ground-water monitoring, she said.
Waimea Theatre is on Kaumuali‘i Highway near Waimea High School and the county Waimea swimming pool.
See also:
Ea O Ka Aina: Kekaha Shrimp Pond Discharge 9/3/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Kauai Shrimp Waste Dump 3/19/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Shrimp Effluent Permit 3/12/10
Island Breath: Kauai Shrimp to dump in ocean 8/21/06
Island Breath: Kauai's Crustacean Crisis 4/23/04
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3 comments :
The most important points from the meeting:
1. DOH has not yet modified the permit. They are waiting until all of the comments have come in. As of last night there were 124 comments submitted over the course of this permit review.
2. The Hearing Officer extended the deadline for receipt of written comments until 4:30 on December 3rd, 2010.
3. DOH has agreed that the shrimp farm is a Concentrated Aquatic Animal Production facility and that the CAAP Effluent Limitation Guidelines apply.
4. The DOH will make a decision on the permit (yea, nea, revised) and post that decision. At that time they will tell us the rules for a contested case hearing about their decision. We need do nothing until notification is sent out.
5. DOH needs to review all of the comments and incorporate suggestions, with their justifications. Because they are very short staffed, this is not going to happen right away. The shrimp farm is operating under a temporary permit. I do not believe there is a time limit by which DOH must respond.
6. The Shrimp farm personnel have stated that if NPDES permit requirements are too restrictive for their expansion into new species,or acreage, and/or if monitoring requirements are too costly, then they will re-consider their commitment to the operation.
7. The public informational meeting beforehand was slick PR by the shrimp farm. They did entertain questions and comments, however.
8. Surfrider recorded the proceedings of the Public Hearing, is editing them, and will make them available to our local TV Channel (Hoike) and anyone else who wants to see what happened.
"Fly on the Wall"
The most important points from the meeting:
1. DOH has not yet modified the permit. They are waiting until all of the comments have come in. As of last night there were 124 comments submitted over the course of this permit review.
2. The Hearing Officer extended the deadline for receipt of written comments until 4:30 on December 3rd, 2010.
3. DOH has agreed that the shrimp farm is a Concentrated Aquatic Animal Production facility and that the CAAP Effluent Limitation Guidelines apply.
4. The DOH will make a decision on the permit (yea, nea, revised) and post that decision. At that time they will tell us the rules for a contested case hearing about their decision. We need do nothing until notification is sent out.
5. DOH needs to review all of the comments and incorporate suggestions, with their justifications. Because they are very short staffed, this is not going to happen right away. The shrimp farm is operating under a temporary permit. I do not believe there is a time limit by which DOH must respond.
6. The Shrimp farm personnel have stated that if NPDES permit requirements are too restrictive for their expansion into new species,or acreage, and/or if monitoring requirements are too costly, then they will re-consider their commitment to the operation.
7. The public informational meeting beforehand was slick PR by the shrimp farm. They did entertain questions and comments, however.
8. Surfrider recorded the proceedings of the Public Hearing, is editing them, and will make them available to our local TV Channel (Hoike) and anyone else who wants to see what happened.
Fly on the Wall
People still have until Dec. 3rd to submit written comments at the above address or email address in this article.
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