honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 4:35 p.m., Thursday, September 25, 2008

State will spend $39M to remove cesspools from Hawaii schools

Advertiser Staff

The state has released about $39 million to remove cesspools at schools across the state in order to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean Water Act.

The release of the money comes after education officials made public appeals to state lawmakers this past legislative session. That's because Gov. Linda Lingle did not include the DOE's request for $49 million to remove more than 300 cesspools from rural schools in her budget.

That forced education officials to lobby state lawmakers to fund the project, citing an EPA deadline of September 2009.

In the end, several key lawmakers pushed to include the cesspool removal project from DOE's supplemental budget request.

The money will go toward the total cost of some $78 million to remove cesspools statewide. Currently, about half of the 60 public school campuses affected by the EPA consent decree have been completed.

According to a news release, the projects will be conducted in phases at the following schools:

Big Island

  • Holualoa Elementary School

  • Honoka'a Elementary School

  • Honoka'a High and Intermediate School

  • Ka'u High and Pahala Elementary School

  • Kohala Elementary School

  • Kohala Middle School

  • Konawaena High School

  • Konawaena Middle School

  • Laupahoehoe High and Elementary School

  • Na'alehu Elementary School

  • Pa'auilo Elementary and Intermediate School

  • Waiakea Elementary School

  • Waiakea Intermediate School

    Kaua'i

  • Ele'ele Elementary School

  • Kalaheo Elementary School

  • Kapa'a High School

  • Kaua'i High School

  • Kekaha Elementary School

  • Koloa Elementary School

  • Waimea High School

    Maui

  • Hana High and Elementary School

  • Kula Elementary School

  • Makawao Elementary School

    Moloka'i

  • Kaunakakai Elementary School

  • Kilohana Elementary School

  • Kualapu'u Elementary School

  • Maunaloa Elementary School (depending on water/sewer issues)

    O'ahu

  • Ka'a'awa Elementary School

  • Waimanalo Elementary and Intermediate School