Hawaii fines US Navy for unauthorized sewage release

By AUDREY McAVOY
Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Department of Health is fining the U.S. Navy $8.8 million for repeatedly discharging untreated or partially treated sewage into state waters from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The department said Tuesday it recorded 766 counts of the Navy discharging pollutants in excess of limits established by a permit. The pollutants were released between January 2020 and July 2022 from the Hawaii Wastewater Treatment Pant operated by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command. Navy says it’s addressing deficiencies at the plant under an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It says this may address some of the issues pointed out by Hawaii’s Department of Health.