Hawaii DOT to pay over $1 million for stormwater violations

The Hawaii Department of Transportation will pay a $1.2 million penalty for federal Clean Water Act stormwater violations at the Honolulu and Kalaeloa harbors on Oahu. This comes after an inspection in 2008 found trash and chemicals on HDOT land could enter the water through runoff.

The $1.2 million in penalties will be divided equally between the State of Hawaii and the United States. In addition to the penalties, HDOT is required to take the following steps toward improving the management of stormwater runoff at the two harbors, including:

“The Hawaii DOT has already made major strides in improving storm water run-off management plans in its Highways and Airports Divisions,” said HDOT interim director Ford Fuchigami. “The creation of the environmental compliance office will ensure that HDOT has staff strictly focused on environmental issues across all divisions.”