New law pays bounty if people bust a dumper

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

People who call the state to report illegal dumping may be able to collect money from the wrongdoers.

The cash involved could be substantial. A separate bill signed by Lingle Wednesday increases the maximum criminal fine for illegal dumping to $50,000. The previous maximum penalty was $25,000.

Supporters of the bill said it's similar to CrimeStoppers programs run by police departments across the state.

"Enforcement has been a problem," said Rep. Tommy Waters, D-51st (Waimanalo, Lanikai), who introduced the idea after a constituent suggested it during a community meeting. "It's kind of like CrimeStoppers where if their information helps lead to a conviction and a fine, they'll get half the fine."

Lingle agreed.

"I think it's one more building block of our effort to keep the environment clean," she said. "We don't have enough enforcement capacity or inspection capacity out in the community and I think this potentially has the opportunity to be a big help to us."

Most illegal dumping violations have been handled by the Health Department, which works with property owners to remove illegal dumps under threat of administrative fines.

The Lingle administration, however, is cracking down on environmental crime and illegal dumping, a statewide problem outlined in a report by a legislative panel last year. Besides increasing fine amounts, it recently established an environmental crimes unit within the attorney general's office aimed at prosecuting violators.

Those seeking to take advantage of the rewards law, or who otherwise have knowledge of illegal dumping, are encouraged to call the environmental crimes unit with their information, said Bridget Holthus, special assistant to Attorney General Mark Bennett.

Rep. Mina Morita, who chairs the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee, said she's never heard of anyone prosecuted under the existing dumping law and hopes that the rewards program, in concert with the initiatives Lingle put in place, will change that.

"Hopefully, we can make an example of people out there breaking the law," Morita said. "We hope that people with credible information will come forward with this kind of bill in place. It gives them an incentive to do so."

Waters said agencies, including police, may also be encouraged to be more diligent in catching illegal dumpers since they would be directly entitled to the other 50 percent of the fine. "So it's an incentive, in my mind, to have the police department out there looking for these guys," he said.

Jeff Mikulina, director of the Sierra Club's Hawai'i chapter, applauded the bill as another small step toward stemming the proliferation of illegal dumps statewide.

"Understandably, folks are reluctant to rat on their neighbors who are doing illicit things," Mikulina said. "This might change the dynamics somewhat."

Capitol Bureau reporter Lynda Arakawa contributed to this report. Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.