What's New
October 2012 - Draft Updates to Section 7 of our Technical Guidance Manual (TGM): Soil Vapor and Indoor Air Sampling Guidance are available on the TGM Website.
August 2012 - Community Meeting and Upcoming Cleanup Action of Former Pesticide Mixing Area, Kilauea, Hawai‘i
Kilauea Kekaha Landfill Disposal Fact Sheet August 2012
Kilauea Removal Action Community Meeting Notice
EPA Cleanup of Kilauea Pesticide Mixing Area Fact Sheet July 2012
News Release: U.S. EPA, Hawaii Department of Health clean up soil in Kilauea neighborhood
June 2012 - 1,2,3-Trichloropropane Report
The Hawaii State Department of Health is making available a report
on the human health risks of 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP), a contaminant found in some sources of drinking water in Hawai‘i. The purpose
of the report is to review the available data on the potential human health effects of TCP as a drinking water contaminant and evaluate
the adequacy of Hawaii’s MCL for TCP.
June 2012 – Draft RAM available for Hickam Communities Remedial Action site
HDOH is soliciting public comment on its Draft Response Action Memorandum
for the Hickam Communities Remedial Action site. Soils at the site contain elevated levels of organochlorine pesticides due to past
application of termiticides. HDOH is proposing a remedy to address this hazard that combines engineering controls (soil caps and
geotextile marker layers) with institutional controls. The official public comment period on the proposed remedy begins June 11,
2012, and ends July 11, 2012. A fact sheet
is available.
The following supporting documents for the proposed remedy are also available:
(1) Removal Action Report (RAR) (28MB);
(2) Remedial Investigation Report (RI) (5MB),
RI Report Appendices A (1MB),
B (12MB),
C-1 (9MB),
C-2 (7MB),
C-3 (8MB),
C-4 (7MB),
C-5 (8MB),
D (4MB), and
F (1MB);
(3) Environmental Hazard Evaluation (EHE, RI Report Appendix E) (28MB);
(4) Remedial Alternatives Analysis (RAA) (3MB);
(5) Environmental Hazard Management Plan (EHMP) (29MB); and
(6) Land Use Controls Inventory Document (LUCID) (17MB).
May 2012 - Hanalei River
The Hawaii State Department of Health is providing the following information in response to an AP story posted by the Star
Advertiser on April 30 (Biologist: Hanalei river, bay should be tested):
The concentrations of arsenic, barium, chromium and lead reported by Hanalei River Heritage Foundation are within anticipated,
natural background levels for the volcanic soils and related sediments of the Hawaiian Islands. The metals are naturally occurring,
are tightly bound within minerals in the soil and are not toxic to humans or wildlife. The terrestrial and aquatic flora and
fauna of Kaua‘i have lived with these metals since the island was created millions of years ago. They are similar to levels of
metals in soil that would be found anywhere on the islands as well as much of the world, and are not related to manmade pollution.
This is well documented in numerous reports over the past several decades, and summarized in the recent draft report
“Hawaiian Islands Soil Metal Background Evaluation Report” prepared for the Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office of the Department of Health.
Hanalei River Heritage Foundation incorrectly compared the sediment (mud) data to regulatory standards for drinking water. These are
completely unrelated standards and are not applicable to metals in soil or sediment.
If you need more information or have any questions, please contact the Site Discovery, Assessment & Response Supervisor Fenix Grange at 586-4249.
May 2012 - The Hawaiian Islands Soil Metal Background Evaluation Report Now Available
The Hawaiian Islands background metals study has been in progress for several years and incorporates soil sample data from several
technical and scientific sources. This report presents an evaluation of naturally occurring background concentrations of metals and
related elements in the volcanic soils of the seven main Hawaiian islands (Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, Maui, Kaho‘olawe, and
Hawai‘i Island). Soil sample data were evaluated using cumulative probability plots, spatial and soil type distribution univariate
plots, detailed spatial analysis, elemental association, geochemical analysis and professional judgment to estimate Hawai‘i-specific
background concentration ranges. For more information on the report see the Cover Memo. View the full
Hawaiian Islands Soil Metal Background Evaluation Report. View the summary table comparing background
concentration ranges to HDOH Environmental Action Levels (EAL).
April 2012 - Kilauea, Kauai Pesticide Mixing Area Investigation Final Report Now Available
The HEER Office has completed extensive subsurface soil sampling of the former pesticide mixing and storage operation affecting
three properties on Aalona Place in Kilauea on the island of Kauai. The final report is now available for public review.
The report findings will be used by US EPA, DOH and the County of Kauai to determine appropriate actions needed
to remediate the soils and restore safe use of the properties affected.
Download the Kilauea Site Inspection report to learn more:
January 2012 - HEER Office Public Record, State Response and Superfund Program Sites Activities for the
latest Federal Fiscal Year
This file contains detailed, single page summaries for approximately 450
sites under HEER jurisdiction. The pages are ordered by Island and Locality name and are easily searchable within Adobe
Acrobat. This subset of sites includes sites that have ongoing environmental concerns or have been closed after 9/30/2010.
This file does not include military sites or sites that were closed earlier. Refer to the Public Record page for information
on these and other sites under SDAR and Emergency Response jurisdiction.
December 20, 2011 to Febuary 3, 2012 at 3:00pm - Request for Proposals for the HEER Emergency Response Contract 2012
-
Public Notice published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and the State Procurement Office website on December 20, 2011.
-
Informational Packet in reference to the Notice.
The public inquiry period is closed. HDOH received no public inguiries.
December 05, 2011 - KEKAHA EMERGENCY DIESEL GENERATOR UPDATE:
HDOH has completed their response to public comment and made the Final Kekaha Emergency Generator Installation Site Remedial Decision and Responsiveness Summary.
There are a number of attachments to the document, which are listed below as separate items for ease of downloading.
-
Annotated court reporter transcript for October 19, 2011 Public Meeting conducted by the State of Hawaii, Department of Health
The purpose of the meeting was to receive comments on the proposed remedy for the ADC Emergency Diesel Generator site.
Note that the transcript is incomplete in some areas, as it includes public comments provided, but does not include the text
of the presentations made at the meeting. Also, due to noise levels and multiple parties talking, not all speakers were able
to be identified, or may have been identified incorrectly. Where such deficits were noted, the transcript has been annotated
accordingly.
-
Center of Public Environmental Oversight Letter to HEER, dated October 21, 2011
-
HEER Response to Center fro Public Environmental Oversight, dated November 22, 2011
-
Kekeaha Resident E-Mails (three, dated between October 26-28, 2011)
-
My Declaration for Kekaha Children Petition (signature not available at time of printing)
-
Kekaha School Children Ballot E-Mail, with Attached Maps and Drawings
-
Final Remedy Site Plan
As part of the on-going State remedy selection process for the Kekaha Diesel Generator, the following document is available to the public.
For additional information, please visit the Kekaha Diesel Generator page.
October 2011 – New Fact Sheet and Sampling Guide for Termiticides
A new Fact Sheet and Sampling Guide for Organochlorine Termiticides at Residential Sites have been posted on the HEER Office Website, Technical Guidance and Fact Sheet page.
October 06, 2011 - EPA FY2012 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup Grant Guidelines
The Request for Proposals has been posted! For details, visit EPA Home >> Brownfields >> Grants & Funding >> Apply for Funding.
June 2011 - Hawaii Business News Article
Read how Brownfields and contaminated sites affect development in Hawaii.
June 2011 - Kilauea Pesticide Mixing Area Investigation
The HEER Office is continuing investigation of soil contamination from a former pesticide mixing and storage operation affecting two
properties on Aalona Place in Kilauea on the island of Kauai. This summer we plan to collect more than 90 samples to further
delineate the areas of contamination in preparation for a removal action.
Download the following materials to learn more:
May 2011 - Fifth Hawai‘i Brownfields Forum Access agenda, presentations
and other event information.
March 2011 - New Guidance. Two new guidance documents have been posted to the HEER TGM website under the "Additional Guidance Documents" link:
- Use of Decision Unit and Multi-increment Soil Sample Investigation Approaches to Characterize a Subsurface Solvent Plume. HEER Office report on investigation of TCE-contaminated subsurface soil located at a site on Hickam Air Force Base, O‘ahu using Decision Unit (DU) and Multi-increment Sampling (MIS) techniques, and
- Technical Guidance Manual Notes: Decision Unit and Multi-increment Sample Investigations. A compilation of notes and recommendations for Decision Unit (DU) and Multi-increment Sampling (MIS) site investigations.
