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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, October 14, 2003

Solutions sought to illegal dumping

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Staff Writer

As rubbish continues to pile up along O'ahu's roadways, an islandwide coalition is searching for solutions to end the trashing of the island.

Last night, the city brought together community groups that have been picking up other people's garbage for decades in an endless cycle of illegal dumping that blights paradise. About 35 attended, including city and state officials.

Initiatives under way and new proposals were presented at the Kapolei meeting. Future meetings will work out the details and feasibility, said Suzanne Jones, city recycling coordinator.

"If it were simply a matter of intelligence and commitment, I think this problem would have been resolved a long time ago," said Jones, who led the meeting. "So the challenge and the question for this coalition we're bringing together today is: Can we be more effective once and for all and stop illegal dumping?"

Several speakers outlined their efforts, including Fred Burnside of the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Burnside, who has been enforcing pollution laws for 17 years, said 1 percent of the violators are dumping 50 percent of the trash, and catching these people would make a tremendous difference.

EPA has two criminal investigators in Hawai'i and is operating a pilot project here called the Pacific Rim Environmental Resource Center, which among other things, will train HPD officers on how to identify and investigate pollution of hazardous waste, water, solid waste and batteries.

"One of the first things I did was make sure that we had the support of prosecutors," Burnside said. "The U.S. attorney, the Honolulu prosecutor and the state attorney general are all 100 percent behind this."

Jones said the city has initiated the Environmental Concern Line in which residents can report dump sites, and the city will coordinate efforts to clean them up. The number is 692-5656.

Shannon Wood, with the Windward Ahupua'a Alliance, said the Kailua community has begun a six-point strategy to address dumping on Kapa'a Quarry Road, including a citizen patrol, hiring off-duty police and education.

Conducting periodic cleanups doesn't work so the group decided to try other methods, Wood said. "We decided we would not hold another cleanup without doing other things."

Other suggestions from the group were to create an environmental court, make it easier to get waste to transfer stations, install wireless cameras for monitoring, have fire stations accept hazardous material since their personnel have the training to deal with it, and reward proper disposal.

Government should buy back batteries and old wrecks, said James Marcus of Waimanalo.

While the suggestions offered some relief, changing people's behavior is the key, said Gerald Takayesu, with the city Environmental Services Department.

"Changing behavior is the toughest thing to do," said Takayesu, head of the storm-water quality branch. "It's like working with 6-year-olds and trying to get them to keep their rooms clean."

The coalition will meet again Oct. 28 with Doug McKenzie-Mohr, an expert in community-based social marketing. The half-day session, only for coalition members, will cover the tools and strategies to address illegal dumping.

McKenzie-Mohr will also lead a city sponsored all-day workshop Oct. 27 at Hilton Hawaiian Village for the public called Fostering Sustainable Behavior: Getting People to Do the Right Thing. To participate call 692-5410 or register online at www.opala.org.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.